OT: Federer Retires
The little cadre of tennis fans in this community will be sad to hear that Roger Federer has officially called it quits today. He'll play in the Laver Cup that he helped establish next week, and that's it.
David Foster Wallace's article on Federer in 2006 was what drew me into tennis, as a fan and later as a player, and I know DFW has a unique space on this blog.
Federer has been passed by Nadal and Djokovic in the career slam race, but he's a titan in the history of the sport and all sports. His fearless and dashing approach to the game have made him arguably more popular than any other player. He changed the game in the early 2000s, showing that an exciting, all-court style could raise one to the top of the game. For me, he's the greatest of all time.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:31 AM ^
I have never picked up a tennis racket in my life I don't think, but really really high level tennis is an incredible sport to watch and can be breathlessly nerve-wracking. Federer was an athlete I would watch despite only a passing interest in the sport. He is in the category of a Jordan or Gretzky. He and Serena both.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:44 AM ^
Top tier tennis players are as athletic as athletes in any other sport if not more. Their combination of skill, strength and endurance is amazing to watch.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:49 AM ^
Not to mention the mental toughness required. You are out there on your own, no coach to talk to, with only your own thoughts running through your mind.
September 15th, 2022 at 12:23 PM ^
I've never understood the "no coaching" rule. OK, I can see that they wouldn't want players calling timeout and stopping the match, but they should be allowed to get a quick word in between sets.
September 15th, 2022 at 1:52 PM ^
That's already starting to change. Second half of year on tour, it's been allowed and was allowed at US Open. They were free to chat with their boxes, and it was just simple stuff. I liked it. Didn't distract from game they way that all of the constant accusations of coaching used to.
September 15th, 2022 at 8:49 PM ^
That I don’t see more players tightening up in big moments (double faults, shortening a stroke and hitting into the net) is incredible. I’ve experienced it in my meaningless rec leagues, would love to know the psychology behind how top players mental game.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:34 AM ^
First Queen Elizabeth died, and now King Roger retired? What is going on with the royals these days?
September 15th, 2022 at 1:17 PM ^
i could be wrong but "age" might have something to do with it
September 15th, 2022 at 3:04 PM ^
I think it might be more than age, although Federer and Nadal have bodies that no longer function well.
The youth movement named Carlos Alcaraz is likely giving some of the older players pause.
September 15th, 2022 at 4:09 PM ^
Go for the Queen's funeral, stay around the week for Federer's retirement. Very few dignitaries will have this privilege.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:34 AM ^
Such an exciting style to witness and enjoy. Appeared a class act while doing so. Always rooted for him because of those traits.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:36 AM ^
Federer rules and I distinctly remember reading that article as well and being totally fascinated by it.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:41 AM ^
One of the great underdog stories of all-time. Boy born with 50% of his name being "er" and he grows up to win all these majors and spend that much time at #1. Real testament to the human spirit!
September 15th, 2022 at 10:41 AM ^
We like to rank in sports! Who is the GOAT etc. Nadal has the most titles, but Fed made me want to watch and play tennis. He may not have the most titles, but I think he's probably the best pure player ever. He didn't have the grind of Nadal and mental toughness sometimes waned when people challenged him. But to just watch pure tennis, he was the best.
September 15th, 2022 at 11:03 AM ^
Sorry, but I think the GOAT is still Rod Laver.
Laver won 11 Grand Slam singles titles, though he was banned from playing those tournaments for the five years prior to the Open Era. Laver is the only player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam (winning all four major titles in the same calendar year) twice in singles, in 1962 and 1969; the latter remains the only time a man has done so in the Open Era.
September 15th, 2022 at 12:00 PM ^
Charles - great point. I think lists that reflect “all time” - tend to be skewed to the current time period - as compared to an entire history of a sport.
It would seem the “1 and 2” in men’s tennis would be Laver and Federer. An incredible pair.
September 15th, 2022 at 3:11 PM ^
I'll still cast my vote for Djokovic. Unlike Federer and Nadal, he had to play his entire career with the *other* two great players of his era already at the height of their powers, and he still has won 21 Slams. And it's strange to say they only won so many because there weren't any other great players, when (a) there were lots of other great players (Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray, and Andy Roddick, just to name three); and (b) the other two were there!
I get that Djokovic's game isn't as elegant as Federer's, and he's not as attractive/gentlemanly to watch, but that can't be the standard for who's best. We might cheer for Federer, but my vote for best player goes to Djokovic.
September 15th, 2022 at 4:47 PM ^
Djokovic is an incredible player, there's no question. His consistency, return game, and just rock solidness off both wings is unmatched.
But I hate it when people say he had to earn his while Federer was at the "height of their powers." Federer is six years older than Djokovic and was past his prime by the time Djokovic starting winning their matchups. Thirty is old for a tennis player. Before age 30, Roger was 13-6 against Djokovic. The vast majority of Djokovic's wins over Roger came after he was well past his prime and not nearly the same world-beater he was in his 20s.
September 15th, 2022 at 4:53 PM ^
I saw Rod Laver play against the Detroit Loves in World Team Tennis at Cobo Hall ( surprised how short he was). Yvonne Goolagong was my favorite Aussie. Tennis in the wooden racket / T-2000 days was a whole lot different.
Alcaraz and others are taking tennis to a video game level with ping pong type shots.
September 15th, 2022 at 5:22 PM ^
the game was so different, it is crazy to compare. So don't!
But in general, modern play is more athletic and more demanding - so hard to pick someone from a different era, imho.
September 15th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
He may not have the most titles
What's crazy is that when Federer was in his prime racking up all those Grand Slams, it seemed like no one would ever come close to matching him. And somehow both Nadal and Joker passed him. Though I guess the million-dollar question is whether that trio have won a combined 60+ Grand Slams because they're THAT good, or because there was no one to seriously challenge them. I.e. do the number of Grand Slam titles say more about them, or everyone else?
What's also crazy is that I feel like I remember Joker from way back in the day, and he certainly wasn't bad, but wasn't anything special. Don't know that I can think of another example of an athlete that mid-career was nothing more than fine, and then ended up with a claim as one of the best all time. Usually, if you're going to be brilliant, you're brilliant out of the gate (and glimpses of brilliance are visible even if you're young and still developing). It'd be like if Brady spent the 2000s as a middle of the road NFL QB, and then suddenly turned it on around 2010 making ten Super Bowls and winning seven. Closest I can think of is probably Barry Bonds--very good pure hitter, yes, but no one considered him a real threat to the HR records mid-career--and there's a chemical explanation for that...
September 15th, 2022 at 2:07 PM ^
Though I guess the million-dollar question is whether that trio have won a combined 60+ Grand Slams because they're THAT good, or because there was no one to seriously challenge them.
I think they pushed each other. The rivalry between the three of them kept them focused on the prize and instead of flaming out in their early 30s like most players, they stayed close to their peak several years longer. And their peak was too good for their contemporaries.
September 15th, 2022 at 2:45 PM ^
I think you might be misremembering. I don't know about "wasn't anything special" until mid-career. He turned pro at 16 and yes didn't really make a major splash or crack top 5 until he was about 20. But since then, he's been pretty much a fixture at top of the game. Compare him to Alcarez. He was what, about a year slower than Carlos to his first slam title? I guess what I'm saying is in my opinion, his career-long greatness isn't diminished by not winning at on big stages at 17, 18, 19 years old.
September 15th, 2022 at 3:39 PM ^
Looking back via Wikipedia, I'm probably misremembering a little, but I don't think I'm that far off. In 2011, he was going into his ninth year as a pro, and seventh year as a Grand Slam qualifier. At the start of that season, he had one Grand Slam title, two runner-ups, and a handful each of semis and quarters. So I probably overstated a bit saying he was nothing special, I'll give you that. But what about winning one Grand Slam in his first six years of playing in them suggested he'd win eleven in his next six years, or that he'd be sitting one behind the all time lead, already ahead of Federer (who like I said had been on an unprecedented tear) and likely poised to surpass Rafa for the record?
That's my larger point. His first six/seven/eight years were very similar to Roddick's, who was solid but in no way shape or form is considered anything close to an all-time great. And then Joker shot straight up and is now on track to lay claim as the greatest ever. If you saw that coming based on his first however many years, good for you, because it took me completely by surprise...
September 15th, 2022 at 5:19 PM ^
Fair enough. And no I don't recall back in the day thinking he'd win 20+. Wasn't suggesting that. It was just more the comment he was just okay early, that his career didn't take off until 2nd half. By fairly normal standards, he was pretty good early. Just didn't have the teen sensation rise of Rafa. But a top 5 player in early 20s with a half dozen slams by what, 24 or 25? But yeah not the resume Rafa had in same years. Would be interesting to see timeline of slams side by side with Rafa and Roger at similar ages through years. Probably exists somewhere.
September 15th, 2022 at 9:04 PM ^
IIRC Joker had issues with fitness and/or was asthma (??) related and faded in matches. He got his fitness in check and then went on to win big.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:41 AM ^
The greatest of all time! Period!
September 15th, 2022 at 10:46 AM ^
The fact that he's been around since Agassi (per the article, not my memory), tells us what an incredibly long journey it has been - and playing at such a ridiculously high level.
My interest in tennis faded after college or so, but growing up, I was a Sampras guy, and he and Federer had the same cool calm demeanor.
I think, Federer suffers a bit for the casual fan, the way Trout does. Had he been American, his stardom would have gone even higher. Not a ding on him, of course, but its a shame American tennis (mens) took such a backseat for so many of his years. Would have probably brought in so many more fans.
That said, against the Djokovic's and the Nadals, I always rooted for him - class guy, no drama, amazing player for so long
September 15th, 2022 at 10:50 AM ^
If somebody was between me and a television in the mid-90s when a Sampras/Agassi match was on they better have been wearing pads.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:55 AM ^
yeah, that was high theater. I was NOT an agassi fan, felt he was way too loud/brash for me. didnt like his hippie hair! Also, he was nowhere near as good as sampras, though he did win a few
September 15th, 2022 at 11:05 AM ^
Sampras was clearly the better player. But Agassi was just good enough, and stubborn enough, to challenge Sampras at a level that nobody else could in that era. To an extent Agassi was just an "irritation" to Sampras, but he was very very good at being irritating.
September 15th, 2022 at 11:19 AM ^
"Sparty" if you will, to our wolverines.
September 15th, 2022 at 12:52 PM ^
I'm not by any means an expert in the game, (out of curiosity, has anyone here watched the Fuzzy Yellow Balls videos to understand the game better?) but here are my thoughts on some of the more dominant players over that time discussed here.
Sampras was a dominant player who also had his own style. I remember those days having major impacts on the game. Conners had a traditional game, flat strokes with minimal spin, Mac, who had precision and touch that few others have ever had, and some young players experimenting with new grips and crazy topspin. Sampras had a massive serve and forehand and was incredible at the net. Watching him could be boring since points lasted as long as an Iowa offensive drive. Agassi was brash and wild in his early years. When he cut his hair, he got more serious and became a consistent player. He stood in close and picked up the ball quickly after a bounce. The control was amazing. And he was the best serve returner until Joker came along.
Roger did something very different. He had the precision and net game, but he used the backhand slice to take control of points like no one I've ever seen. Then Nadal's huge lefty topspin forehand completely negated that shot. It was weird to see Roger get raddled mentally, but Nadal did it to him a lot.
It's amazing how long some of these players can continue to be competitive. Roger and Rafa by all metrics should have retired a decade ago, and Joker 5 years ago. Sports technology, training, etc. have come a loooooong way. I can't wait to see Joker and Alcaraz face each other on a big stage.
September 15th, 2022 at 12:21 PM ^
Agassi definitely wasn't as consistent as Sampras, but at his best, he was up there with him. He won a career Grand Slam, which Sampras was unable to do (never won the French).
September 15th, 2022 at 1:02 PM ^
I'll never forget how excited I was for my first pair of Agassi jorts.
September 15th, 2022 at 4:20 PM ^
I wanted a freaking camera I had no idea how to use because of that man.
September 15th, 2022 at 12:25 PM ^
I still remember watching the 1990 US Open final. Sampras (who I, a rather casual tennis fan at best, had never heard of) absolutely blew Agassi off the court. I felt like I was watching a totally different sport. When Sampras broke the then record (12) for most majors, and then added a 14th, it felt like he'd ascended some sort of tennis Everest. Remarkable that 3 guys have separated themselves so much that they've all blown that record out of the water. Happy trails to Roger.
September 15th, 2022 at 2:58 PM ^
i think, in a way its a testament to their greatness and longevity... but i also think the competitive landscape is nothing like it was 25 years ago. There were great #1 types that we don't even mention. The distribution of majors was far higher. Spanning from Connors to Andy Roddick, there were so many players who were competitive. Reminds me of women's college hoops ... yes, uconn and others are dominant, but its like saying Duke is a lesser dynasty in men's hoops because Uconn won 15 in a row. True in absolutes, but the competition Duke faced was far deeper.
Or, maybe im old now (43), and like to think everything was better/different back in the day - when in fact, it was different, but not likely better.
Courier
Ivanicivic
Kafelnikov
Chang
Muster
Edberg
Rafter
Becker
We don't even think of these guys anymore. But there was a wide array of talent and specialties. And yes, I had to look it up to recall all of them!
September 15th, 2022 at 10:46 AM ^
Great comments. I have been a Federer fan for a very long time. What most impressed me was - his management of the court - his preparation - anticipation - and execution. That preparation - management - and execution, to me, are very similar to Tom Brady.
My thanks to Fed for what he did for the game - his accomplishments, and the enjoyment he provided to tennis fans throughout his career.
September 15th, 2022 at 10:50 AM ^
2nd best ever Mens Tennis player period!
September 15th, 2022 at 10:54 AM ^
Bummer, I was really hoping he would take a victory lap at next year's Wimbledon and get the proper sendoff he deserves. Amazing career. As a Nadal fan, he always annoyed/frustrated me but I've gotta say the way he played, the shots he was capable of making, and the touch he had was so beautiful to watch. He was so dominant in his prime. I truly think if courts hadn't been slowed down significantly throughout the years that Nadal and Djokovic would not have passed his GS records.
September 15th, 2022 at 11:17 AM ^
Exile - your comment about court speed is something I did not want to bring up - but, is very relevant.
September 15th, 2022 at 11:03 AM ^
Not only is Roger a true all-time great that bridged generations playing with two of the other best players of all time, but he is probably the classiest high-level athlete I can remember. He is always a gentleman, always composed, always humble, always articulate. It has been a treat to watch this incredible athlete/ tennis star/ human.
September 15th, 2022 at 11:08 AM ^
I don’t want to get into who’s the GOAT in terms of accomplishments on the court, but he played tennis in the most beautiful fashion that I’ve ever seen. It looked like an art form. Like he was performing ballet in the Louvre. As a kid in his young teens (a rather late age to start tennis), he made me pick up a racket and fail miserably over and over again until I was finally good enough to make the high school team. Thanks Rog!
September 15th, 2022 at 11:23 AM ^
His letter read just as you'd imagine it would, pure Roger. An incredible tennis player, an incredible athlete. Getting old sucks.
September 15th, 2022 at 11:42 AM ^
Good riddance ya old bag!
September 15th, 2022 at 11:47 AM ^
Class and elegance on and off the court, Roger and changed the game along with Rafa and Novak. I'll miss his machine like consistency and fluid, one-handed backhand. The image of him winning a grand slam and then putting on a Rolex and white sweater (as if he just got out of the shower to go model for a magazine cover) and then modestly accepting another trophy will likely not be replicated. Roger made the sport better.
September 15th, 2022 at 12:21 PM ^
September 15th, 2022 at 12:46 PM ^
I don't care how many slams Rafa or Djokovic win, Roger will always be the GOAT to me. Being the greatest depends on more than the win totals, its about creating that feeling of awe and endearment that DFW describes so well in that essay. Roger floated across on the court and placed his shots like a surgeon. And of course he's been a flawless ambassador and spokesman for the game. Hoped he would give one more Wimbledon a shot. Alas.