"Everybody loves Federer" —John McEnroe

ffw2

ffw2

Hall of Fame
"These guys aren’t going to be doing it forever," the observant legend added.

The goal is to drum up interest by picking up the preceding generation's slack.

What strikes me is how remarkably manufactured it all seems. So much for organic superstardom!

Roger-Federer-Wimbledon-crowd.jpg


www.eurosport.com

'We desperately need to see that' – John McEnroe backs Nick Kyrgios call to push new personalities - Eurosport

John McEnroe has stressed the importance of tennis finding new personalities to replace Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
www.eurosport.com www.eurosport.com
 
ibbi

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
There's nothing manufactured about Medvedev, or Kyrgios. Zverev is horribly manufactured, saying stuff to pop a crowd in on court interviews, and then telling people backstage he was just talking crap to entertain people. :-D

The issue is winning and crossing over into the mainstream. The trouble with Kyrgios is he's a character who can't make it out of the first week of a slam.

I also think Medvedev might be held back by the fact that... He wears Lacoste. I love Lacoste, but it's probably half the reason Novak isn't up there with Roger and Rafa too. What tennis really needs right now is for MC Shapo to get his act together, preferably before his boyish good look fade. Raducanu too, as far as the womens game is concerned.
 
Kralingen

Kralingen

Talk Tennis Guru
My fear is that even if lightning struck twice and a player of Federer's calibre did come along (I have my doubts that this will ever happen)

social media and the attention economy has so fragmented the sport of tennis that he would never be able to capture the attention of a mid-2000s world the way Fed did.

Perhaps I am wrong but I know I'm right.
 
ffw2

ffw2

Hall of Fame
Kralingen said:
My fear is that even if lightning struck twice and a player of Federer's calibre did come along (I have my doubts that this will ever happen)

social media and the attention economy has so fragmented the sport of tennis that he would never be able to capture the attention of a mid-2000s world the way Fed did.

Perhaps I am wrong but I know I'm right.
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What about cycles?

Surely things could circle back at some point?

Think about the various horrors that preceded Federer's rise.

Don't things have a way of correcting themselves?
 
Kralingen

Kralingen

Talk Tennis Guru
ffw2 said:
What about cycles?

Surely things could circle back at some point?

Think about the various horrors that preceded Federer's rise.

Don't things have a way of correcting themselves?
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even eSports has overtaken tennis in viewers worldwide.

Kids these days hardly have the attention span to watch a 40 second tiktok let alone a 4 hour tennis match. Plus, the nature of tennis' global tour makes watching a star a frustrating, confusing proposition with TV deals that limits access greatly.

I genuinely believe we could see a player who was better than all of the Big 3 and he would still not capture the attention of the world. Far too many sports and content streams vying for our attention. Think back to 2003-2006. Were you on your phone all the time? TV was still the main content stream, it is now so diluted that I doubt tennis will ever capture the same market share as it once did.
 
ffw2

ffw2

Hall of Fame
Kralingen said:
even eSports has overtaken tennis in viewers worldwide.

Kids these days hardly have the attention span to watch a 40 second tiktok let alone a 4 hour tennis match. Plus, the nature of tennis' global tour makes watching a star a frustrating, confusing proposition with TV deals that limits access greatly.

I genuinely believe we could see a player who was better than all of the Big 3 and he would still not capture the attention of the world. Far too many sports and content streams vying for our attention. Think back to 2003-2006. Were you on your phone all the time? TV was still the main content stream, it is now so diluted that I doubt tennis will ever capture the same market share as it once did.
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Poisoned Slice said:
''What is videotape?'' Knocked me off my feet when somebody asked.

But anyway, I dream of Roger Federer.
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Are any of the Buggles still alive?

They need to do a remake.
 
GhostOfNKDM

GhostOfNKDM

Hall of Fame
It's funny to me Meddy brought this up in regards to Djoko, but I was thinking the exact same thing watching these young guns all week - "What would Roger do?"

Its astonishing to me the kind of uninspired tennis being played at the top of the sport while having Federer set an example over 20 years for them to emulate.

To wit, the hesitation to step inside the baseline, take the ball on the rise, slice or come to net as part of a deliberate effort to construct a point is just lacking!

Watching players like Shapo or Meddy hit shots from awkward positions, falling backward, or like FAA or Alcaraz, pulling the trigger without a good court position earned through maneuvering the opponent smartly, or the endless backhand rallies where these guys are content to expend energy looking for UEs from the other guy, .... it's just sad.

I kept thinking, how did Roger make it look all so effortless, elegant, efficient and exciting. Fhck I miss the guy.
 
Adam Copeland

Adam Copeland

Hall of Fame
Novichok said:
There won't be anyone like Roger Federer ever again. :cool:

roger-federer-of-switzerland-holds-up-the-trophy-after-defeating-andy-picture-id82726689
roger-federer-of-switzerland-poses-with-the-trophy-as-he-celebrates-picture-id88279974
roger-federer-of-switzerland-holds-up-the-winners-trophy-after-his-picture-id148271257
roger-federer-of-switzerland-kisses-the-norman-brookes-challenge-cup-picture-id632993602
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When Federer wore white and came to collect his wimbledon trophy in the mid 00s then it was as if an Angel has descended from the heavens, I mean the smile on his face looked so divine, as if he he was completely in control of wimbledon and the trophy was safe in his hands.

I guess it is that smile and his classy strokes while destroying his rivals during his peak that actually created this legacy of Federer forever, a whole generation is enamored with it and cannot seem to snap out of it..

It can happen again with someone similar, not impossible really. However it is the rise of Nadal to challenge Federer that created a unique rivalry, that is what might never be seen again, something similar, so contrasting and interesting.
 
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ffw2

ffw2

Hall of Fame
TMF said:
He's the greatest player in history of his sport and a member of the Mount Rushmore

th
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The thing of it is, even if another Federer never comes along, there will always be the high water mark.

That's the kind of stuff that sustains sports, IMO.
 
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Sampras-Bruguera 1993

Legend
He’s an arrogant aloof elitist. (Nothing to like about humans like that. Sure we can admire his game, don’t have to respect the man however. I lost all respect for federer after the2009 Australian

It was only fitting he lost all GOAT titles and to his sworn enemy LOL (and hell Nadal may surpass it too in 2 more matches( Karma always rears it’s ugly head.
 
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Adam Copeland

Adam Copeland

Hall of Fame
When Federer won wimbledon in 00s the trophy looked quite perfectly safe and well deserved in his hands, it is almost as if there couldn't be a more perfect winner.
When Federer lost to Nadal in 08 then it just seemed unfair, Nadal's attire seemed as if a Pirate/a goon had stolen the trophy from Fed.
Later when Novak beat Fed again and again, then it again felt a bit upsetting, even Novak seemed undeserving on 2 occasions.

Truly the end of an era, nobody wants Federer to retire, not even the rival fanbases but it is inevitable now..
 
duaneeo

duaneeo

Legend
The focus is still on the Big-3 because the new players have done nothing to take the focus off the Big-3. Federer and Nadal won all the slams from AO17 - RG18. Nadal and Djokovic won all the slams from WB18 - AO20. It's been the Djokovic Show since...the DQ at the USO, the almost CYGS of 2021, and being deported from Australia. Even now with Nole absent, the big story is will Rafa or won't Rafa win the AO.
 
ffw2

ffw2

Hall of Fame
big ted said:
the only successor in the federer classiness category i see is hurkacz
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Can't really speak to that as I've hardly seen him play, and know next to nothing about him. Although the veg thing is cool.

I'd like to see someone love the game as much as Federer. That's a huge piece of it.
 
T

thrust

Legend
ibbi said:
There's nothing manufactured about Medvedev, or Kyrgios. Zverev is horribly manufactured, saying stuff to pop a crowd in on court interviews, and then telling people backstage he was just talking crap to entertain people. :-D

The issue is winning and crossing over into the mainstream. The trouble with Kyrgios is he's a character who can't make it out of the first week of a slam.

I also think Medvedev might be held back by the fact that... He wears Lacoste. I love Lacoste, but it's probably half the reason Novak isn't up there with Roger and Rafa too. What tennis really needs right now is for MC Shapo to get his act together, preferably before his boyish good look fade. Raducanu too, as far as the womens game is concerned.
Click to expand...
What does wearing Lacoste have to do with Novak's popularity?
 
King No1e

King No1e

G.O.A.T.
ffw2 said:
What about cycles?

Surely things could circle back at some point?

Think about the various horrors that preceded Federer's rise.

Don't things have a way of correcting themselves?
Click to expand...
Yep, I wouldn't be surprised if they said the same thing about Borg back in the 80's. "He was unique, there will never be another player of his stature." In a way they were right, but Federer has still equalled that level of icon status in his own way.
 
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