This is an article ‘All Hail King Roger!’ by Marc Pulisci
Modern tennis owes Roger Federer so much. Aside from all the exciting matches and impressive showings in every title he has won through the years, the 20-grand slam champion brought back the grace and class of the sport—just when its popularity was beginning to experience a slump, too.
Many fans can remember how match attendance in grand slam tournaments was not breaking any records in the early 2000s when a young Swiss player sporting a ridiculous ponytail stepped onto the court. In those days, golf was hotter, thanks to Tiger Woods, and tennis had become more of an elite pastime for the general masses, and its glory days during the '70s and '80s were but distant memories.
Not to say that nobody was interested in the sport. With the likes of Andre Agassi giving men's tennis a new personality that embodied the aggressive and rebellious type, there was still some hype. It's just that tennis was not the hottest sport the world talked about back then. Yes, there were some standout players aside from Agassi on the men's professional level who either impressed fans with hard hits or miraculous returns, but they were not quite enough to put the spotlight back on the tennis court.
That changed in 2001. After attaining peace with his younger and more temperamental self during the early years of his pro career, a young tennis star named Roger Federer, who seemed to be more comfortable with baggy shirts and ponytails, emerged from the scene to conquer not only the sport but the whole world.
Taking the world by storm
Aside from how the world took notice of how graceful and tenacious a young Federer was on the court back then is how seasoned veterans saw his potential. Seven-time grand slam winner John McEnroe used to call him 'Baryshnikov in sneakers' with how it looked like he was doing ballet whenever he faced an opponent.
And when Federer played, tennis experts and fans watched. Even his co-professional players came out of their locker rooms to see what everyone had been talking about worldwide. Early on, his competitors studied how he created shots and displayed footwork they had never seen before on a player. Some even said Federer reminded them of legendary Aussie Rod Laver from the '60s.
With players becoming fans, there's no question that the spotlight has returned to tennis, thanks to Federer. He has become the maestro, orchestrating impossible shots with graceful footwork that most coaches didn't believe could exist in one player. How he hit a one-handed backhand mid-jump or floated across the court with optimum precision is still a mystery. Even in his younger years, many knew that King Roger was destined to break records for years to come.
A classic modern legend
When Federer broke into his first ATP match in 1998, he had more work to do before capturing the world's attention. He was easily angered by either poor calls or frustrated by his performance. He knew he had to go through some mental toughness training before he could really go up head to head against the best.
His first singles win came in 2001 against Frenchman Julien Butter at the Milan Indoor. That same year he was able to enter the French Open quarterfinal but lost to Spaniard Àlex Corretja. Later that year, his first grand slam breakthrough came at Wimbledon, wherein he defeated the then number one seed American Pete Sampras in five grueling sets to reach the quarterfinals.
From that moment on, the young Federer regained his confidence and was ready to face big-name players. They included Andre Agassi, who defeated him at his first ATP Masters 1000 in Miami back in 2002, and Russian Marat Safin, who gave him his first Masters Series title the same year. Soon enough, Federer was winning back-to-back tournaments, winning four singles titles in just five years.
Federer's grace began to extend off the court once he suited up like a real pro, sans ponytail and baggy tennis shirts. His star was rising fast and people saw him on magazine covers and in the news as he performed his philanthropic initiatives, mainly for the benefit of sickly and impoverished youngsters.
The whole world was soon Federer's stage from 2003 when he won his first grand slam at Wimbledon against American Andy Roddick. By 2004, he was world number one in the ATP rankings – a position he would hold for a record 310 weeks, including 237 consecutive weeks and five year-end number ones.
An unforgettable star
Fast forward to 2008, when the trophies started pouring in like crazy. By year-end, Federer had collected 13 grand slam titles at 27 years old. Of course, not without any challenges. During the early 2000s, a Spaniard named Rafael Nadal had already made his mark as a threat to King Roger's throne. Soon after, a Serbian youngster named Novak Djokovic also entered the picture to complete an era that featured probably the best men's singles players of all time.
While Nadal leads Federer in overall wins 24-16, and Djokovic is also on top with a head-to-head record of 27-23, no one has taken the tennis world by storm like Roger Federer. Of course, more from his storied career came after 2008, and Federer would win seven more grand slams despite age creeping up on him a bit faster than anyone expected. By 2020, a persistent knee injury was hounding him, making him bow out of tournaments. By 2022, at 41 years old, King Roger had decided to loosen his grip on his racquet and declared his retirement.
Nonetheless, Federer gave every fan the impression that they were watching tennis like the art it really is. From his graceful movements to the passion that goes beyond each of his shots, down to the determination that makes him a true champion, it was evident that Federer wasn't just playing tennis. He outlined the court's every inch by hitting shots from various angles that no one had seen before. He was methodical, disciplined, and intelligent, which aligned with how other geniuses like the novelist David Foster Wallace witnessed. In 2003, Wallace praised Federer by saying how he 'changed the sport by making it unpredictable.'
Though many still want to see more from the man, one thing is sure for Federer's fans everywhere. He loved tennis and every aspect that goes along with it. From the competition to the travel, but most of all—the fans. Federer had embodied the class the sport needed just when everyone had nearly lost faith.
For that, he has gained his rightful place in history as one of, if not, THE greatest of all time.
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