Imagine walking through the hallways of an art gallery and locking your eyes on a piece of art that opens up doors in your mind - that refuses to let you walk away, and moves and breathes in tempered cadence, like a song. A musical piece that serenades even without sound. That’s what a Roger Federer backhand felt like. Tucking his locks behind his ears, shooting a sharp glance at the person standing on the opposite end of the court, the sound of the ball hitting the racquet and wafting through the tense air, Federer sailed. And there was no stopping FedEx.
When Roger Federer announced his retirement from competitive tennis with an intimately crafted letter of farewell, something felt right. It had to be the end. However, a part of myself could never read the lines that would talk about his departure from the court. Federer made a generation fall in love with tennis. There may have been more aggressive people on court, more physical rivals he has had to face, but nothing satisfied the soul better than watching Federer in inexplicable flair. Every shot measured, movements calculated graceful and dignified. Federer’s performances might have looked blissfully choreographed at times, but never theatrical. At his peak, he just knew what he had to do. One could anticipate his dominance the moment he walked onto the court, a cheeky smile playing on his lips. Yet, every win seemed operatic.
I remember watching Federer for the first time back in 2009. It was well into Federer’s peak where I had watched him crashing to an exhausting defeat at the hands of Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open. My introduction to FedEx was holding my father’s hands. I could see him visibly upset at the end of the match.
Barely eight, I could not relate to the low, but the way the man moved caught my eye. Young eyes are often attracted by movement, and colours. In a striking blue tee with pristine white shorts and matching shoes, his movement was not quite like anything I had seen before. The shoes squeaking on the hard court, the sound of the ball hitting the racquet, the game seemed far more interesting than I had thought it would be.
Everything about him was elegant, graceful and smooth, despite having the spirited opponent, who looked interesting as well, pumping his fists and celebrating mostly. Deciding to pursue this intrigue, I went on to watch the French Open which followed later that summer. Dressed in a cyan tee, black shorts and a classic headband, it felt like Roger was in his zone. And that sparked a journey. There was no looking back.
Roger Federer with his first Grand Slam trophy, Wimbledon in 2003
However, it came with an interesting twist. Fanboying over someone becomes a settled habit when it’s always the same person reigning at the top, undeterred, with a fixated vision. The next few years saw a Rafael Nadal and a certain Novak Djokovic vie for the hoisted pedestal as well. As hard as it is for a Federer fan to accept it, their shared dominance was unquestionable. And that somehow flavoured this inexplicable relation I shared with the man. The anticipation, the anxiety, the heartbreaks and the almosts strengthened it more every passing day. The wait, the pregnant void which followed every time FedEx fell short made me want to watch him at the top, just one more time.
There’s often a lot of opinions when it comes to hanging your boots up when it’s time to do so. With his knee surgeries, 2016 looked like the season that would be the curtain call for FedEx. He had given the court his all. The tapestry was rich, beautiful and complete. But shameless as we are, we keep expecting. And all I hoped was to see Roger standing tall at the Centre Court, unblemished and royal, smiling at the gallery. The world hoped.
In a classic Roger way, without any sound or fury, Roger graced the court once again in 2017. It was Renaissance for the world to adore, as Federer graced Wimbledon once again and made his way to the final without dropping a single set. Capping off a poetic comeback, Federer defeated Marin Cilic in straight sets to lift his eighth Wimbledon title without dropping a solitary set, becoming the oldest man to do so in the Open Era and marking his 19th Grand Slam title overall.
To witness that moment, as the lush greens embraced its king, was the keepsake you would treasure. To watch him smile through it all, mist and hail, and be up there one more time, was the memory you would cherish. The beautiful final lap ensued that would last for a couple of more years.
However, the swansong was Wimbledon 2021, where he crashed to defeat in the quarter-finals in straight sets. It was painful to watch Roger struggle on the court where he had tamed legends of the game and, yet, reality accommodates nothing beyond. Going through multiple knee surgeries, Roger had a difficult year leading up to 2022. A weak part of me wanted to see him one last time, but another part couldn’t deal with the ignominy of another hapless defeat.
That backhand — as lethal as it was graceful
In sports, often, an individual exemplifies so many qualities that they are hoisted beyond the frame of a person who might be equally vulnerable, anxious and insecure, transcending into a pole star-like figure destined to guide. An exercise in looking beyond statistics, gives one a spectrum of answers. Not getting to watch Roger on court again is not something I can easily digest. A dreamy figure of perfection, he exemplified something beyond the sport.
Eras are built and fossilised. Roger Federer evolved with every title, bettered with every loss, and rediscovered himself among the countless almosts. And he concludes his letter thus: “Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you.” Roger Federer leaves behind an impressionist’s canvas. Where he made reality look better, the banal look fancy, and the difficult look effortless. Beyond the sport, FedEx continues to sail.
Pictures: Agencies and Getty Images
Roger Federer in Numbers
237: Most Consecutive Weeks at World Number One
20: Grand Slam Titles to his name
8: Holds the record for the most Wimbledon titles
1,251: Singles match wins, second behind Jimmy Connors
103: Number of ATP Singles titles, behind Jimmy Connors’ 109
36 years; 320 days: Oldest Player to be ranked World #1
35 years; 342 days: Oldest Player to win Wimbledon, 2017
10: Straight Grand Slam Finals (2005-2006)
24: Straight ATP Finals (2004-2005)
4: All Grand Slam Finals in 2006, 2007 and 2009
65: Record matches on winning streak on grass
31: Overall finals, only behind Novak Djokovic’s 32
369: Grand Slam match wins
5: Record Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award
2009: Completed Career Grand Slam
2003: Wimbledon, first Grand Slam win
2018: 6th Australian Open title, last Grand Slam win