He may have 1000 wins on his glittering CV, but Roger Federer’s appetite for silverware remains as strong as ever.
Sometime in early June, as he approaches his 34th birthday, Roger Federer will have spent exactly half of his life as a professional tennis player.
As career choices go, it’s worked out pretty well for the world No.2. In Brisbane, he reached 1000 career victories by winning the final against Milos Raonic, a milestone reached by only Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl before him. Switzerland’s maiden Davis Cup title last year leaves just one major target on his hit list: Olympic singles gold.
Then there are those 17 Grand Slam titles, more than any other man to pick up a racquet, and the record 302 weeks as the ATP’s world No.1. Off court, the time has long passed since he might have felt the need to fret about his financial future, if indeed the thought ever entered his mind – and this for a father of four.
Still, the fire burns bright in Federer. With Stefan Edberg in his corner, a new racquet with a larger sweet spot in hand and commitment redoubled to his volley-focused attacking game, the 33-year-old won more matches than any other player on tour in 2014. He claimed five titles in all, including two Masters 1000 crowns, and reached a record ninth Wimbledon final, where he lost to Novak Djokovic over five scintillating sets. He ended the season as world No.2 behind the Serbian having hounded him for the top spot until the year’s final event, the ATP World Tour Finals.
But it’s not just the competition that keeps Federer going – it’s also the roar of the crowd, the privilege of playing to fans worldwide on the grandest stages tennis has to offer. When that ends, he admits, the time will come to consider the ‘R’ word.
"I definitely am fortunate to always be playing on centre court, and very often prime time," Federer said in a BBC radio interview aired on Boxing Day.
"I must say – and this is honest – I don't know if I would still be playing if they would put me on Court 4 every day. That would be difficult for me, having played on all these wonderful courts around the world and now playing in front of a fraction of those people, that would be rough."
There is little threat of Federer plying his trade on the on the outside courts at Melbourne Park any time soon. The four-time former champion has reached the semi-finals or better every year since his maiden victory back in 2004, and even the most mundane of practice sessions draw fans in their droves. His status as a star attraction remains unparalleled; as a contender, unquestioned.
Having debunked the theory that he was a fading force yet again in 2014, Federer heads into 2015 with his sights set no lower than the past, even if the field continues to close the gap on the game’s big three. Last year underlined both Federer’s ability to stay with the best at full fitness and the toll of that success on his back at the end of a lengthy season; the ageing great ishuman after all.
Should Federer fail to win in Melbourne, it would represent his longest run without major to his name since winning the first of those 17 titles, at Wimbledon in 2003. But if two seasons without a Grand Slam title represents an alarming drought, it only serves to illustrate how high a standard both he and we have come to expect of him. Federer remains the benchmark in men’s tennis and an inspiration not only to his fans but also to his fellow professionals, as Andy Murray made clear in the build-up to the Australian Open.
“The thing with Roger is he doesn’t give up,” Murray said in Abu Dhabi. “He had a very tough season [in 2013], and it would have been easy for him to look at things and think: ‘okay, I’ve had a great time, maybe it’s time to call it a day’, but he didn’t. He went away with his team and addressed the issues and came back stronger than ever.
“No matter how old you are or successful you have been, there is always more to learn and always things you can work on to improve yourself, and I think Roger has shown that.”
It is a half-life to be savoured, no doubt.
ausopen.com
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