The first time I saw him in a competitive match was against my all time favorite player, Pete Sampras. A 19 year old kid, hair in a neat pony tail, wooden bead jewellery around his neck, taking on the might of Sampras at Wimbledon! Poor kid, what chance does he stand against the 7 time Wimbledon champion. Federer had other plans; he finished off the match in 5 sets.
Gradually, the looks changed, the style of play changed, and the kid grew into a Legend. 103 Singles Titles, including 20 Grand Slams, and an Olympic Gold (in Doubles), in an era when two other players also racked up 20+ Grand Slams each, nothing short of amazing.
Roger Federer played his last competitive match on 23rd Sept 2022, in the Laver Cup, a men's tennis tournament between Team Europe and Team World. When the fans around the world argue and are split on who the GOAT is, the sport itself brings the best players together. Federer teamed up with his greatest rival, Rafa in his final match, Djokovic and Murray cheering for them from the sidelines. They were not playing against each other, they were playing for each other; what a sight!.It was not a fairy tale ending though, Fedal was just a point away from victory, but they eventually lost the match. There were moments of magic from all the 4 players on the court; I have not watched someone hit the tennis ball as elegantly and with the finesse like Federer, even after all these years and on the cusp of retirement.
And yeah, he is definitely human: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf0Q0S2tXNE
Sir, you have been a delight to watch; thanks for all the great moments over the past 24 years.
You will be missed!
You will be missed!
