By Erin Bruehl
Friday, September 2, 2011
At age 30, what is left and next for Roger Federer?
Roger Federer has won a record 16 Grand Slam singles titles and, in many people’s minds, has already earned the distinction of being the greatest men’s tennis player of all-time.
The great Swiss has won 787 matches in his career to just 185 losses with an astounding 225-33 record in Grand Slams. He has been ranked No. 1 in the world for 285 weeks, just one week shy of tying Pete Sampras’ all-time record, and owns one of the most impressive streaks in tennis history by reaching a record 23 straight Grand Slam semifinals.
He has his wife, Mirka, and two-year-old twins, Charlene and Myla, and has won over $63 million just from tennis, not counting sponsorships - more money than he will ever need in his lifetime - and can be seen in multiple television commercials for various products.
Having turned 30 last month, the question is, how much is possibly left to motivate the great Federer? Or for that matter, what is left for him to achieve?
But the 30-year-old is still the No. 3 player in the world and says he has no plans to stop playing any time in the foreseeable future. He might have lost a few steps from his prime, and a few opponents, like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, have caught up and perhaps even passed his level, but Federer still loves to compete, wants to keep winning and is still playing because he loves the game.
To him, age is just a number.
“I mean, hasn't changed anything. I'm still as professional. I'm still as hungry. Everything's still completely normal,” Federer said when asked about how turning 30 affected his outlook. “It's just a number that's changed. So, no, I'm ready to go.
“I’d rather be 30 than 20,” he said in an interview with ESPN after winning his second-round match at the 2011 US Open over Dudi Sela.
In fact, Federer is more competitive in Grand Slams at 30 than he was at 20. The year he turned 20 in 2001, he did not advance past a Grand Slam quarterfinal and, in 2002, had two first-round Grand Slam exits.
However, since his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 just before he turned 22, Federer has won at least one Grand Slam every year since, a streak that is in jeopardy as he entered Flushing Meadows, where he has won five times, without a major title this year. His last was the 2010 Australian Open.
This year, he lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals, to Nadal in the French Open final and suffered a shocking five-set loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. It did, however, extend his streak of reaching 29 straight Grand Slam quarterfinals.
Coming into the 2011 US Open, Federer is not the favorite or maybe one of the top two favorites for the first time in many years, with Djokovic the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion having lost just two matches this year the favorite and in Federer’s section of the draw. The two could meet in the semifinals for the fourth year in a row. Last year, Federer wasted several match points in a five-set loss to the Serbian.
Djokovic, however, is not viewing a meeting with Federer at the US Open, or anywhere, any more lightly than he had before and does not doubt Federer’s desire to keep winning.
“Even though maybe Roger didn't have the year as successful as he had in last five, six years, I still think he's playing really well,” he said. “He's, I'm sure, very much motivated to come back to the No. 1 of the world. From all of us, he knows the best how it is to win the major events because he's the record holder. He has 16 Grand Slams, has a fantastic career, and so I'm sure he wants to come back there.”
Of the goals Federer might have left to achieve, climbing back to No. 1 in the world and breaking another of Sampras’ records appears most unlikely to happen, with Djokovic leading him by almost 5600 points in the rankings and Nadal ahead of him for No. 2 by over 3000 points.
He is still, however, climbing up the Grand Slam record books simply with every match he wins. With his win over Sela, he now has 225 Grand Slam wins in his career, which is second most in the Open Era. He moved past Andre Agassi on the list and now is just trailing Jimmy Connors’ record of 233, which barring injury, he surely should pass next year.
In terms of inspirations for players succeeding in their 30s, Federer need not look much further than Agassi or Connors.
A 24-year-old Federer defeated a 35-year-old Agassi in the final to win his second US Open title back in 2005. Agassi was also the last man over 30 to win a Grand Slam singles title, when he won his final major championship at the 2003 Australian Open just a few months shy of turning 33.
Connors won two Grand Slams the year he turned 30 in 1982 and won his final major at age 31 at the 1983 US Open. He was still playing in his late 30s, including an improbable run to the US Open semifinals at 39 in 1991.
“I played him here in 2005. I think he was 35, so I was like, ‘Wow, that was his 20th US Open, I think, in a row.’ I've got a ways to go,” Federer said of Agassi. “This is my 13th time here, 12th time maybe in the main draw, so it's definitely an inspiration seeing guys being around for a long time, like Ken Rosewall, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, and then there are tons of other players who were there for a long time.”
Federer sees himself falling into that category one day, as he has battled mononucleosis and back problems during his career but has avoided any major injury and has never missed significant playing time.
Unlike one of his rivals, Nadal, who plays a grinding style of tennis that puts a lot of pressure on his troublesome knees, Federer thinks his style, which appears graceful and almost effortless at times, is one factor that will allow him to play for years to come and, at this point, knows when he needs to be smart about resting and taking care of himself. His big serve will continue to serve him well as he gets older, as well, helping him earn free points and avoid long rallies as he ages to go with his legendary forehand.
And as of now, he plans to keep doing what he is doing with no end in sight.
“I feel my game allows me to still play for many more years because I have a relaxing playing style. I have almost played a thousand matches on tour, and that leaves its toll, but I'm very professional when it comes to massages, stretching, diet, sleep, all of that stuff,” Federer said.
“I have always looked in the long term, as well, for a long time,” he added. “I have never been chasing stuff around since I turned world No. 1 seven years ago. That's why I'm confident I can still play for many more years to come at the highest of levels.”
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