How much of Federer's decline in 2008 was due to the height of opponents?

[T007]

Average height of top10s:

2003 - 183.3
2004 - 183.0
2005 - 181.7
2006 - 184.3
2007 - 182.7

2008 - 186.9
2009 - 188.2
2010 - 187.2
2011 - 185.9
2012 - 187.1

In 2003-07 Federer won 12 Slams.
In 2008-12 Federer won 5 Slams.

In 2003-07 he was taller than his main opponents.
In 2008-12 he was shorter than his main opponents.

How much did this affect Federer's results?

The decline in slam success was due to two factors
Slowing down of courts...specially at USO and wimbledon.
Facing to younger peak ATGs in his post prime version.

Still he was the only guy came close to goating peak djokovic by beating him once and coming very close for a 2nd time

 

[Madinolf]

Federer didn’t do well against many lesser players in 2008. Either he had a bad year, or all of these other players evolved by getting taller that year.

Here are some examples:
Opponent..................record in 2008..................record outside of 2008
Stepanek......................2-1........................................13-1
Roddick........................0-1.........................................20-2
Fish................................0-1..........................................8-0
Simon............................1-2..........................................6-0
Blake...............................1-1.........................................9-0
Total..............................4-6, .400.................................56-3, .949

Mardy Fish was ranked #98 in the world when he beat Federer. The best part is that Mardy only got 32% of his first serves in.

He either got old at 26, or he lost motivation outside Slams after four years winning almost every match.

 

[Madinolf]

From 2008 Australian Open to 2013 Roland Garros Federer in Slams only lost to big (all 6'1+) talented (all reached the top5) players who were not peak yet in 2003-07 (all born since 1984):

Djokovic x5
Nadal x5
Berdych x2
Tsonga x2
Del Potro
Soderling
Murray

 

[ForehandCross]

From 2008 Australian Open to 2013 Roland Garros Federer in Slams only lost to big (all 6'1+) talented (all reached the top5) players who were not peak yet in 2003-07 (all born since 1984):

Djokovic x5
Nadal x5
Berdych x2
Tsonga x2
Del Potro
Soderling
Murray

Umm almost everyone of Federer's gen whom he dominated were 6 feet 1 or higher.

From Haas to Roddick except Coria everyone was either taller than 6 '1 or equal.

Wasn't Safin 6 '4?

Not the best correlation.

 

[aman92]

Those Giants Nadal and Djokovic sure did a number on him

 

[Sunny014]

 

[ForehandRF]

People rationalize evey Fed's loss, which is incredible.The difference at the slam level between 2005 and 2008 it's that Fed was edged in the Wimbledon Final but I mean, nobody can win them all.Fed went for 6 in a row that edition, unlike Nadal, who went only for the 5th title in a row at the French, in 2009, and yet people don't make too much noise about that loss.Federer wasn't supposed to win every Wimbledon so people need to get real

 

[Jonas78]

His true decline was in 2010 and it was because of Berdych and his height.

 

[ForehandRF]

His true decline was in 2010 and it was because of Berdych and his height.

Then because of Tsonga and his height

 

[lordlosh]

Federer was an absolutely prime 2003-2007. But that obviously can't last forever. Obviously a drop in form was coming, especially with all that he achieve and that he was not that hungry anymore.
The problem with him is that his level dropped for way too long, and he couldn't ever get to this level of playing anymore. And his real rising level has come in 2017, which is 10 years after his last hit peak.
Yeah he has years where he doing great on a X or Y tournament, but never really has the consistency he has in the period of 2003-2007, neither the mentality.

 

[tennis_pro]

did Rafa not have an injury at the RG? which forced him to pull out of Wimbledon...

Nadal is shorter than Federer, how would it matter lol

 

[Sunny014]

Federer was an absolutely prime 2003-2007. But that obviously can't last forever. Obviously a drop in form was coming, especially with all that he achieve and that he was not that hungry anymore.
The problem with him is that his level dropped for way too long, and he couldn't ever get to this level of playing anymore. And his real rising level has come in 2017, which is 10 years after his last hit peak.
Yeah he has years where he doing great on a X or Y tournament, but never really has the consistency he has in the period of 2003-2007, neither the mentality.

Federer did up his level after 2014 with a new racquet.

He was trash from 2010-2014, those were the most valuable 4.5 years for any athlete guided by imbecile called Annacone.

Had Federer hired an ATG level coach like Ivan Lendl or Boris Becker in 2009 then he would have been forced to change his racquet right after losing to Potro or maybe in 2010 for sure, his resurgence of 2014-2015 would have come in 2010-2011 itself.

 

[pj80]

Nadal is shorter than Federer, how would it matter lol

because Rafa had his number up until 2017...not the big guys

 

[Sysyphus]

how much of people's untimely deaths in their bedsheets was due to the increased consumption of cheese?

it really makes you think

 

[lordlosh]

Federer did up his level after 2014 with a new racquet.

He was trash from 2010-2014, those were the most valuable 4.5 years for any athlete guided by imbecile called Annacone.

Had Federer hired an ATG level coach like Ivan Lendl or Boris Becker in 2009 then he would have been forced to change his racquet right after losing to Potro or maybe in 2010 for sure, his resurgence of 2014-2015 would have come in 2010-2011 itself.

Yeah Federer always have a crap team, and approach certain matches ridiculously from tactical view. Last good coach he had was Tony Roche.

 

[Deleted member 779124]

He looked fine in 2009 to me. I mean he reached the final of every slam. LOL. 2008 Nadal/Nole/Del Potro came along. Which are better than Roddick/Hewitt/Davydenko/Baghaditis/Kiefer/Blake

Because of your Federer dislike and agenda. 2008 Federer was losing to guys like Fish and Karlovic and Simon and Roddick which was happening less than in 2004-2007.