CHENNAI: Sportswriters often fantasise about the end of an era narrative. Most of them cannot resist the lure of the story of a fallen legend. Indians have seen this in operation when Sachin Tendulkar became ENDULKAR in the early months of 2006, a good seven years before he actually retired.
In the 2011 edition of Wimbledon, a place that already was Roger Federer’s sanctum sanctorum, a quarterfinal shock awaited. He was up two sets to love against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and his fans had already booked tickets for a possible last-four clash with Novak Djokovic.
It wasn’t without reason. Before that Wednesday began at the All England Club, the Swiss had never lost after winning the first two sets at a Major. The record was 178-0. The number, after the match against the Frenchman, was 178-1. At the post-match press conference, he had to answer one question which roughly translated into this “Is this the end of the Federer era?” The obituaries, seemingly, already had a dateline and a placeline.
The ‘Big Four’ era was well under way and Federer, the sport’s high priest, was just beginning to cede space. No Majors had been won since the Australian Open in 2010, a drought that would continue till 2012 Wimbledon. Over the next four years, that was the outlier as the other three — Andy Murray, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal — and Stan Wawrinka, one time more popularly known as Federer’s hitting buddy, all saw more success. A six-month break followed as the Swiss shut down his season. “Would he be back?” was one question that did not receive an affirmative answer.
The last week of Melbourne in 2017, and in particular, the final, not only answered that question but also spat on the faces of those who even framed it in the first place. He was as good as new, aggressive and playing the sport with renewed hope and belief. The 35-year-old God was back at work in one of the biggest stages of them all. And since those five heavy duty sets under the Victorian moon, the God has been at it in Indian Wells, Miami and Wimbledon. Memories of sepia-toned images from conquests past came flooding back as the 19-time Major champion reminded people about his magic. Two Slams in a year for the first time in seven years.
The Swiss was already a contender for title of GOAT and it would have not affected his legacy any which way if 2017 had panned out differently. Here was a decent man who had redefined what constituted art inside the confines of a tennis court. But what makes this redemption song special is it allows people everywhere to dream again even when they are down, sitting around in a hospital gown waiting to be examined by an array of x-ray machines.
There is a certain allure in watching a great fighting against the odds to preserve his name in history. But watching Federer in 2017 has elevated that to a whole different level. He is not just fighting anymore, he is the king once again reminding his subjects about the rules of the game. His game. It’s also a reminder about the innate beauty of sport. It doesn’t come with a satisfaction guarantee but it takes you to places you seldom inhabit otherwise.
Veteran sports journalist Rohit Brijnath captured the essence of Federer the morning after his eighth Wimbledon title. “Roger Federer didn’t fight for peace or solve world hunger, but he did what most could not. In an era of athletic conceit and inflated skill, he lived for roughly 20 years at the unique intersection of art, accomplishment and decency.”
swaroop@newindianexpress.com