Sharmada Balu, who is in Chennai for the Open, was returning to Bengaluru when she got the news of Swiss tennis player and 20-time Grand Slam winner, Roger Federer announcing his retirement from professional tennis on social media after the Laver Cup which will happen between Sept. 23-25.
Needless to say, the die-hard Roger fan was heartbroken. “Everyone knew it was coming, but didn’t know when. It was unexpected. Ever since I started playing under-12 tournaments, he has been my idol,” says an emotional Balu, who got a chance to meet her the Swiss maestro in 2010 during the Australian Open, while playing the juniors. “I got his autograph. He has given us such amazing matches. It was surreal,” recalls Balu.
Even Akshitha Basavaraju reacted similarly. “Apart from being a great tennis player, his connect with people is great. I am glad we are in an era where we can revisit his matches,” says Basavaraju, who recalls being starstruck the first time she met him. “I was the winner of the under-14 category in one of the national tournaments and the winners were taken to watch the Australian Open. It was nice to see him live,” recalls Basavaraju.
The overwhelming response was on expected lines. As the world was getting over the news of Serena Williams announcing her retirement with the recently-concluded US Open, Federer’s announcement caught tennis fans off-guard.
“The past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career,” Federer left a heartwarming message for his fans.
During his career which spans over 20 years, we have seen many great players but it’s hard to match Federer. So what made him so admirable? According to tennis player Adil Kalyanpur, it’s hard to find a flaw in his game. “Most of the current players grew up admiring him. He has created this brand to perfection, so smooth and fluid. It is very admirable the way he carries himself on court,” says Kalyanpur, as he speaks to CE over a call from New Delhi.
Fedal
Federer’s rivalry with Rafeal Nadal has always been spoken about in length and their camaraderie has lifted the game of tennis to a different height. When RaFa left an emotional note for his ‘friend and rival’, the depth of respect they have for each other came through.
They might have faced each other many times, but the 2008 Wimbledon finals was the one that many feel was the defining match of their rivalry. Wimbledon being Federer’s backyard, and with Rafa upping his game, the match turned out to be one of the all-time epic matches ever played. Former city-based tennis player Arjun Goutham, who is currently coaching top players, says the match will stay in his memory as an extraordinary one.
“That was the first time we saw two tennis players really push each other to the limits and sustain it. The match went on for a long time and they kept pushing each other. Nobody was ready to give in even a bit physically, mentally or emotionally. The second time I saw something similar was (Carlos) Alcaraz and (Jannik) Sinner in the Quarterfinals of US Open 2022,” explains Goutham.
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Federer’s India connect
Leander Paes defeated Roger Federer during the Indian Wells Masters back in 2000 with a score of 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. Paes had the Olympic bronze medal and won the Wimbledon doubles title when he faced Federer.
However, it became big news when Sumit Nagal pulled up a shocker at the 2019 US Open by winning a first set against Federer, becoming the first Indian to do that in a Grand Slam. The score went down to 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6; eventually Federer beat Nagal at the Arthur Ashe stadium, New York.
His first visit to India was in 2006 as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador after the 2004 Tsunami. He also visited a protection centre for children and orphans in Cuddalore to oversee relief efforts. Federer also took part in an HIV Education Programme when he went to Villupuram.
The second visit to India was for the IPTL’s inaugural edition (2014), where he played for the Indian Aces. Federer played two matches at the Indira Gandhi National Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. In the singles, he beat Tomas Berdych and in doubles, he teamed up with Gael Monfils to beat Nenad Zimonjic and Novak Djokovic. Federer partnered with Bengaluru girl Deepika Padukone and played against the pair of Novak Djokovic and Sania Mirza in the all-star match.
Federer’s third visit was in 2015 and due to lack of time, he asked his Twitter followers in India to photoshop him around the country. And the outcome turned out to be hilarious.