Three days ago, Federer announced he would undergo a fourth knee surgery, which would leave him on crutches for weeks and miss the Tour for months. The news struck me with heartache, and a scene that had happened many years ago came to my mind again.
Federer was just beginning to emerge at the time, and probably this season, writer Lloyd Carroll wrote: "Roger Federer will shine all over the US Open." Years later, the exaggeration seemed too conservative. In the past decade or so, the great champion has not only shined throughout the US Open, but the story of the entire men's tennis scene revolves around this Swiss legend who shined throughout the tennis world.
Looking back on the past, so many people and things may have been blurred, and the protagonist of the story is indelible, and those shining historical moments are even more enduring.
In Wimbledon in 2001, we witnessed a young man with long hair beat Sampras; in Wimbledon, in 2003, we witnessed the Swiss rookie win his first Grand Slam trophy at Wimbledon; in Melbourne in 2004, when Rodrawall handed him the shining trophy, we witnessed tears in his eyes.
On that afternoon in Wimbledon 13 years ago, the gloomy sky gradually darkened, and Federer lost to the scrappy Nadal in the final. Just a year later, Federer raised the Musketeers Cup in Roland Garros, collecting the last piece of the puzzle of the four Grand Slams, and the magical process of winning the championship even felt a little illusory.
He later switched to a larger racket, suffered his first knee injury, beat Nadal in five sets in Melbourne and conceded two title points against Djokovic at Wimbledon. Then, injuries hit frequently, and he suffered a series of defeats as he approached the twilight of his career.
Over the past 20 years, Federer has made fans realize all the good imagination of tennis, and has also made opponents accept defeat with satisfaction. Federer erected a tall monument that dwarfed the great players. "He made Andy Roddick look like a big, unruly old Buick." One commentator said in a joking tone.
From another perspective, Federer's accomplishments are also a staggering string of numbers: 31 Grand Slam finals, 20 titles, 23 Grand Slam semi-finals, 310 weeks world number one, 58 Grand Slam quarterfinals, and he is the only one to have won at least 10 titles on four courts.
Federer has won a total of 103 singles titles, winning five consecutive Wimbledon and US Open titles. At his peak, he dominated the tennis world. Writer Sue Motte said, "It won't be long before the compilers add a new verb to the dictionary, 'to Federer,' meaning — to destroy an opponent with suffocating precision." ”
As powerful as ever, Federer is still a cute and playful boy at heart. He would smile when he looked at Nadal, the enemy of his life, and cry like a child at the awards ceremony. While others are sweating to win titles, Federer's titles always seem to be weighty, which is a big part of what fascinates us so much. Someone wrote in an article in the New Yorker: "In people's minds, Federer carries a platonic ideal, and chasing Federer is like chasing dreams and truths." ”
Federer is the king, a free king.
His wife, Mirka, said: "When he wakes up in the morning, he is always full of lighthearted optimism, every day, it's really hard to imagine. "Federer exudes a serene temperament that sets him apart in intense tennis matches – it's hard to see anxiety in his face, and it's rare to hear him complain loudly, and his serenity is amazing.
At Wimbledon Centre Court 13 years ago, Federer wore a vintage cream sweater like a holy, melancholy prince, highly in tune with the old-school British aesthetic.
Just eight weeks later, we saw the brave and tenacious Roger, dressed in black like a fighter on the streets of New York, igniting the fire of passion at Flushing Court. In South Africa, more than 50,000 people went to see his exhibition game, and in Indian Wells, fans traveled thousands of miles to train just to see him train up close. Wherever he went, Federer received enthusiastic applause and cheers, and his popularity was as high as the towering Alps in his hometown.
Federer's career and life were complete.
His trophy filled the room, and he had a loving wife, two pairs of twin daughters. His shots are spectacular, and his effortless, fluid SLR is his most glamorous weapon, as Sharapova commented, "looks effortless". He is fluent in three languages at press conferences. He socializes with the most famous people in the world and shares with Tiger Woods the feeling of being alone and defeated. He is to tennis as Jordan is to basketball. He had lunch with Queen Elizabeth, who playfully told the media after the meal that the Queen had given him advice on improving his backhand.
Great as ever, Federer was also an ordinary man.
"He beat you," James Black recalled, "and when he got back to the dressing room, he was an ordinary member of the crowd." At Centre Court at Wimbledon in 2008, Dominique Herbati expressed his gratitude to federer after losing to Federer in the first round, and playing against the Swiss King at Centre Court will be the best memory of a lifetime. Andy Roddick once said bluntly, "Roger never had a shelf, and when he didn't play, he was the boy next door." ”
From the hustle and bustle of the pitch to dusty Africa, Federer became a charity ambassador, and his foundation helped countless children who were eager to help. From Monte Carlo to Manhattan, Federer led the rich and famous into philanthropy. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Switzerland and Austria issued stamps bearing his portrait, and streets in Switzerland and hotel suites in New York were named after him. His hometown gave him cows, and he brought countless glories to Basel.
Federer's contribution to tennis is comparable to that of Rodrawall, whose european classical style of play comes from Bjöborg's heritage, and whose desire to win is reminiscent of Lendl and Djokovic, but he is more relaxed and introverted. After Sampras, Federer turned Wimbledon Centre Court into a personal stage. Nadal's muscles shine throughout the field, Djokovic's cold psychology is amazing, there is no greater psychological master in the tennis world, and Federer is an artist on the tennis court, with a flowing backhand, a strong and smooth serve, making the tennis game full of art.
Compared to those great geniuses, Federer was like Leonardo da Vinci, a versatile artist. Like Barishnikov, Federer elevates the beauty and elegance of movement to astonishing heights. Like Picasso, Federer used his unique style to bring fans into the world of beauty. Like Jobs, Federer was the top man in the industry.
Overall, Federer's achievements are unparalleled. Wallace once commented that Federer even broke through the limits of gravity, "He can somehow keep the tennis ball still, and the yellow tennis ball seems to stop for half a second, hanging still in the air." Famous coach Steve Stefanki said, "The fairy balls he played against his opponents didn't seem to be intentional, but natural." ”
Correll has a unique way of celebrating, jumping into a river in Melbourne. He later said he would never celebrate again because Federer could even walk on water. The slogan for the Miami Open read, "When Federer comes on, everyone will stop, even God is watching his game." ”
Genius is like genius, greatness is like a man, Federer still can't beat the most ruthless time. For the 40-year-old, the chances of returning to the top from his fourth knee surgery are slim. Nicholas Kiefer reminds us again and again, "We are from Earth, Federer is from another planet." "Without Federer, those beautiful stadiums would be eclipsed and we can't imagine what life would be like.
Back to reality, baseball survived without Babelus. After Michael Jordan retired, the NBA did not go out of business. We also have to accept the reality that without Federer, tennis would be different, and that day is coming. In any case, the world of tennis without Federer would continue to function and we would still have gotten pleasure out of tennis.
The legend will come to an end. We still hope that Federer will never end.
Note: The above is from Learning to Live Without Roger by Bill Simons, an article full of sincere feelings and the most literary tennis review article I have ever read. Translating it is extremely challenging, and I have made the necessary adaptations of the article on the basis of trying to retain the author's original intentions and write it out to share with all the golfers. (Source: Tennis House Author: Yun Cirrus Yunshu)
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