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TWENTY career majors. Oldest and longest-reigning No.1 in history. $US115 million in prize money and counting.
Roger Federer could retire today a very, very happy man.
His status as an all-time sporting great is assured. Even if he never wins another match, he may go unchallenged as the greatest and most successful male tennis player in history.
With his 37th birthday approaching, however, Federer looks anything but finished. And you get the feeling plenty more incredible records and milestones will fall before he is.
There are the some obvious milestones still out there for Federer to chase.
His triumph in Rotterdam last week was his 97th at ATP level, putting him within touching distance of the magical 100 titles mark (Jimmy Connors holds the record with an astounding 109).
With 20 majors now in the bag he could be realistically setting his sights on Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24, all the while further distancing himself from greatest foe Rafael Nadal (second on the men’s all-time list with 16).
Should his form hold up another 12 months, Federer has a chance next year to surpass Ken Rosewall as tennis’ oldest ever major winner (the Aussie legend won the 1972 Australian Open at the age of 37 years and 62 days).
Then there’s another, more unlikely, achievement in the offing. One that would put the ultimate exclamation mark on his career — and Federer won’t get a better chance than this year to make it happen.
It’s why the Swiss should make winning a second French Open title — thus completing the rare ‘double career slam’ — a priority in 2018.
Since jagging his sole triumph at Roland Garros in 2009 to complete a career slam (winning all four major titles), the event has understandably fallen down his pecking order of importance.
He sat out the entire clay court season in 2017 and it proved a masterstroke, the rest and recuperation proving crucial to what has been a stunning and unexpected run of success on hard and grass courts over the past 12 months.
Most expect Federer will stick to the same plan this year, unsurprising given he’s played a mere five matches on clay since June, 2015. However he’s hinted ever so slightly a Roland Garros return this May might be on the cards.
“The clay season is up in the air,” Federer, who is “50-50” about lining up in next week’s Dubai event, said last month.
“If I’m playing a lot during this part of the season, it would be hard to play a robust clay season.
“It would be light (schedule) if I do play. We’ll see how it goes, I’m healthy and glad to be playing.
“I should be playing when I feel that way and not play when I don’t feel at 100 per cent or don’t feel ready to do it. That’s the secret for me moving forward.”
Embarking on another gruelling French Open campaign present obvious risks to Federer’s other 2018 plans but there are reasons to believe he could mount a legitimate title charge
We tend to forget Federer is among the greatest clay courters of all-time, at least statistically.
He’s one of only three men (along with compatriot Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic) aside from Nadal to win the French Open since 2004. His 11 ATP titles and a 75 per cent winning record across almost 300 matches on the surface put his claycourt figures in legendary territory. And he’s playing and moving as well now as he ever has.
Then there are the ongoing struggles of Federer’s wounded rivals. Ten-time champion Nadal is a deserved odds-on French Open favourite but he continues to struggle with injury, as does Wawrinka (who lost to the world No.259 last week). Djokovic is on a long road back from a serious elbow problem and there are fears we may never see the Andy Murray of old again.
In a year where young guns like Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev might pose the biggest title threats, a fit and firing Federer could be perfectly poised to throw caution to the wind and pounce for perhaps the most unlikely triumph of his career.
With his beloved Wimbledon also approaching and a ninth title in the offing many would fairly ask ‘why bother? when it comes to Roland Garros.
Because winning a second French Open title would make Federer the first man in the Open era to win each of the four majors at least twice (only Australians Rod Laver and Roy Emerson have ever done it).
Because jagging another Roland Garros title during the King of Clay’s reign would represent another savage blow in the Federer v Nadal legacy debate — and surely sting peers Djokovic and French Open-less Murray.
And just because winning a grand slam on your least-favoured surface at 36, against all odds, is a very badass, Roger Federer-like thing to do.
Article by Fox Sports.
NOTE: The authors views on this subject do not align with my own.
Roger Federer could retire today a very, very happy man.
His status as an all-time sporting great is assured. Even if he never wins another match, he may go unchallenged as the greatest and most successful male tennis player in history.
With his 37th birthday approaching, however, Federer looks anything but finished. And you get the feeling plenty more incredible records and milestones will fall before he is.
There are the some obvious milestones still out there for Federer to chase.
His triumph in Rotterdam last week was his 97th at ATP level, putting him within touching distance of the magical 100 titles mark (Jimmy Connors holds the record with an astounding 109).
With 20 majors now in the bag he could be realistically setting his sights on Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24, all the while further distancing himself from greatest foe Rafael Nadal (second on the men’s all-time list with 16).
Should his form hold up another 12 months, Federer has a chance next year to surpass Ken Rosewall as tennis’ oldest ever major winner (the Aussie legend won the 1972 Australian Open at the age of 37 years and 62 days).
Then there’s another, more unlikely, achievement in the offing. One that would put the ultimate exclamation mark on his career — and Federer won’t get a better chance than this year to make it happen.
It’s why the Swiss should make winning a second French Open title — thus completing the rare ‘double career slam’ — a priority in 2018.
Since jagging his sole triumph at Roland Garros in 2009 to complete a career slam (winning all four major titles), the event has understandably fallen down his pecking order of importance.
He sat out the entire clay court season in 2017 and it proved a masterstroke, the rest and recuperation proving crucial to what has been a stunning and unexpected run of success on hard and grass courts over the past 12 months.
Most expect Federer will stick to the same plan this year, unsurprising given he’s played a mere five matches on clay since June, 2015. However he’s hinted ever so slightly a Roland Garros return this May might be on the cards.
“The clay season is up in the air,” Federer, who is “50-50” about lining up in next week’s Dubai event, said last month.
“If I’m playing a lot during this part of the season, it would be hard to play a robust clay season.
“It would be light (schedule) if I do play. We’ll see how it goes, I’m healthy and glad to be playing.
“I should be playing when I feel that way and not play when I don’t feel at 100 per cent or don’t feel ready to do it. That’s the secret for me moving forward.”
Embarking on another gruelling French Open campaign present obvious risks to Federer’s other 2018 plans but there are reasons to believe he could mount a legitimate title charge
We tend to forget Federer is among the greatest clay courters of all-time, at least statistically.
He’s one of only three men (along with compatriot Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic) aside from Nadal to win the French Open since 2004. His 11 ATP titles and a 75 per cent winning record across almost 300 matches on the surface put his claycourt figures in legendary territory. And he’s playing and moving as well now as he ever has.
Then there are the ongoing struggles of Federer’s wounded rivals. Ten-time champion Nadal is a deserved odds-on French Open favourite but he continues to struggle with injury, as does Wawrinka (who lost to the world No.259 last week). Djokovic is on a long road back from a serious elbow problem and there are fears we may never see the Andy Murray of old again.
In a year where young guns like Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev might pose the biggest title threats, a fit and firing Federer could be perfectly poised to throw caution to the wind and pounce for perhaps the most unlikely triumph of his career.
With his beloved Wimbledon also approaching and a ninth title in the offing many would fairly ask ‘why bother? when it comes to Roland Garros.
Because winning a second French Open title would make Federer the first man in the Open era to win each of the four majors at least twice (only Australians Rod Laver and Roy Emerson have ever done it).
Because jagging another Roland Garros title during the King of Clay’s reign would represent another savage blow in the Federer v Nadal legacy debate — and surely sting peers Djokovic and French Open-less Murray.
And just because winning a grand slam on your least-favoured surface at 36, against all odds, is a very badass, Roger Federer-like thing to do.
Article by Fox Sports.
NOTE: The authors views on this subject do not align with my own.
), you'd have to still be impressed.
? Does that count?
