Tennis will not be the same without Roger Federer – ‘the epitome of a champion’
- The sport will miss Federer – the player, statesman, and instantly recognisable global ambassador who spoke several languages
- Swiss ace became a symbol of tennis and someone known as much for the way he carried himself as the hardware he accumulated
Roger Federer never let them see him sweat.
He played tennis with a style that only rarely betrayed the effort behind the masterful serving, the rare-in-its-day attacking and the flawless footwork. He was not one to grunt loudly on shots or celebrate wildly after them.
The way he wielded a racket helped him to win, yes, and win a lot, to the tune of 20 grand slam championships – a half-dozen more than any man before him across a 15-year stretch, and 103 tournament titles in all, plus a Davis Cup trophy and Olympic medals for Switzerland – and spend week after week at No 1 in the rankings. It also helped him manage to avoid serious injuries for so long and achieve the consistent excellence over decades he prized.
“Every time people write me off, or try to write me off, I’m able to bounce back,” Federer once said. But a little more than a month past his 41st birthday and after a series of knee operations, he said there would be no more comebacks.
It is a loss for tennis, to be sure, and a loss for the sports world. The news arrives about two weeks after Serena Williams, who owns 23 grand slam singles titles, played what she indicated would be the last match of her own illustrious career soon before she turns 41.