Measuring The Greatness of Roger Federer

Roger Federer—the man who revolutionized men's tennis with his game helping tennis reach new heights, alas, seems to be reaching the end of his good years.

This is not Yet Another "our-Hero is Outgoing" Oracle ("YAHOO" for Nadal fans perhaps), but a look at what has Roger Federer done to Men's Tennis.

Also, please note that I am not predicting the end of Roger Federer in the Tennis World, but only noting that he cannot be as dominant as he used to be, that the Roger Federer who won 3/4 every year shall be a memory, not due to any shortcoming from his side, but due to his own legacy.

It was the time when "Pistol Pete" was taking leave of Tennis, and Andre Agassi was lingering on in the scene collecting titles here and there. It was the time when a new era of "brute-force" tennis players were coming in, though at that time there were strewn here and there, immense and refreshing talents of the likes of Marat Safin.

"Brute-force" because they were content in waiting for the whole of eternity from the baseline, hitting at their opponents with heavy, unimaginative ground-strokes, not taking the initiative, but waiting for the guy on the other side to give a mute return and then kill the offering for the winner. Yes, it was  the age of the counter-punchers.

I cannot justify myself if I say counter-punchers are the bane of tennis. It will not only be heresy, but outrageously blasphemous too. What would tennis have been today without a Rafael Nadal, or a Lleyton Hewitt?

What I mean to say is this—the advent of Luxilon strings coupled with the slowing down of courts meant one could excel in this game by hitting monotonous ground-strokes, and inch by inch, stroke after stroke pushing the opponent out of the court, thus opening it up and finally going for the killer.

This philosophy seemed quite lucrative and almost every other guy who was a pro started embracing this approach. The end of serve-and volley and aggressive Tennis was declared officially.

Then came the man with the Golden Touch—Roger Federer, who was, arguably the first true great All-Court Player in the post Sampras Era (of course that Russian was there too, but his mind used to, and still does, go for a vacation from time to time).

He dared to raise the first question against this modus operandi, and succeeded. From then on, it was Federer all over the world, all over the year with the exception of France, for the next half a decade.

Instead of relying on just speed, power and the fact that the opponent is not a robot but a human who makes mistakes, he brought (back) into the game, the deft touches, the flat strokes (of course he used top-spin ground strokes too), the sliced approaches, though he was by default a base-liner  ...uh... and a lot of other shots that were new to Tennis.

He started taking the initiative during points, not waiting for the opponent to commit mistakes. He embraced creativity and innovation on court—his game was not just execution—it was as much that and impromptu planning—playing on instinct.

And perhaps if there was anyone who should have done it, it was Roger. Why? Because he could succeed. He had the talent, the athleticism, and the brains to read the game. It seems that the Tennis Gods had sent him down here to revive a game that was welcoming players looking for the "easy" way.

He was the man that was destined to rescue tennis from mediocrity.

But then it seems They did not for-see the other risk—players started accepting the invincibility of this man.

He was condemned to greatness so that his greatness could be used as an excuse for not trying to reach up to the standard he had set, until that Spaniard came along, perhaps another envoy from Tennis Divinity to bring the belief to other players that this man is beatable, but not by just hitting at him with all the power in the world, but by improving oneself and aligning oneself with the way Tennis ought to be played, as defined by this man.

The greatest ambassador of Tennis raised the existing level of play, filled in the gaps, and in the process earned 13 Grand Slam titles too. It seems now, that his job here is done, but he deserves more for his services—he deserves to be remembered for even more than what he is known for today.

Perhaps destiny will grant him his wishes so that there shall be nothing left for him to prove to himself and the world.

Go Roger! Get that Fourteenth and the Fifteenth, and ...er... well get as many as you want before you leave.