Hours after Roger Federer breezed to yet another unlikely triumph at the Rod Laver Arena, former No. 1 Mats Wilander stirred up a major controversy by suggesting that tennis officials should do whatever they could do to prolong Federer’s career, including speeding up courts.
His reasoning was that Federer was the best thing in professional sports and his continued success was the ideal scenario for tennis. The last year of Federer’s already incredible story has been even more mind-blowing. The man is 36 and he’s won three of the last five Grand Slams! Add 31-year-old Rafael Nadal to the equation and that makes it five out of five. Two of the biggest draws in world sport, they have been fantastic ambassadors for the sport over the last decade-and-a-half. But the fact that they, in the twilight of their careers, remain untouchable must be creating consternation among tennis fans.
Many names have been touted to take the mantle over from Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray—all in their thirties. But the fact that Federer’s opponent on Sunday, Marin Cilic, and Juan Martín del Potro are the only men still in their twenties to have won a singles Grand Slam indicates that the mantle has firmly stayed with the seniors. Not only have Federer & co. been ridiculously competitive, Cilic, Grigor Dimitrov and their ilk have been unable to step up to the plate, especially at the Grand Slams.
Maybe it’s all in the mind.
When 20-year-old Alexander Zverev, the latest ‘Federer’s heir’ to appear on the scene, crashed out early at Melbourne, Federer had a word of advice for him. Maybe they were just heaping more pressure on themselves by expecting to win Grand Slams before they’ve even begun playing. Maybe they should just focus on reaching the quarterfinals first. Then the semifinals. One step at a time. This may look like a cliché, but Federer himself went through the same, not winning a Slam till he was 22. He used every fall to better himself. Maybe the kids should try do the same.