Sports Articals

What is it about Roger Federer that pulls at our heartstrings? Watching him break down during the Australian Open trophy presentation after losing in five sets to Rafael Nadal in the final brought tears to my eyes. His passion for his sport runs deep, probably deeper than most realized, and his willingness to show it was moving. I don't think the flood of emotion from Federer was simply about that one match, though. He had lost to Nadal in a similar scenario at Wimbledon last year, and to see his opportunity to pull a reversal vanish after coming so close was too much for him to handle.

Some may disparage a man for crying after losing, but it's inspirational that he cares so deeply. Federer has all the money and fame he could want, but neither motivates him. What makes his rivalry so special is that Nadal is cut from the same cloth. His performance throughout the Australian Open was remarkable, possibly only surpassed by the respectful way he treated Federer after beating him in the final. People forget it's not only about forehands and backhands. Both these guys display character you don't always see in big-time athletes. Look at Michael Vick and the steroid-users in baseball to see how poorly some represent their sports. Tennis is lucky to have this duo at the top.

While his legacy as a great sportsman is secure, of greater importance to Federer at the moment is how he's going to beat Nadal. I've heard commentators wonder if he'll ever do it again in a big match, or possibly even win another Grand Slam.

I know what he's going through. I lost to Martina Navratilova 13 times in a row over a period of more than two years. Then, when I finally ended the streak, I went on to defeat her in two French Open finals and have a fairly even record with her for the rest of my career.

So, I'm not counting Federer out yet, especially when there's not much separating him from Nadal on a fast surface. It's not like he got drummed in straight sets and didn't have opportunities. He served poorly, committed uncharacteristic errors, and missed numerous break point chances, yet still had the match knotted at two-sets apiece before losing his way in the fifth. I don't think Federer needs a new coach to make stroke adjustments or any drastic changes. He just needs a few tweaks, such as cleaning up the backhand errors and getting more assertive on his return of serve. But what it really comes down to, and it's easy for me to say, is that Federer needs to play better on the pivotal points.

Obviously, there's another guy with a say in this, and right now he doesn't seem human. Nadal is a tireless competitor with the advantage of youth on his side. His intensity and fitness are unrivaled, making him difficult to beat in long matches. I'm curious to see whether in five years, when he's Federer's current age, Nadal will still be motivated to battle so fiercely for every point. For now, that's irrelevant to Federer. He must conquer a hungry opponent who seemingly has no limits.

My heart goes out to him.

So true!! So true!!! Every line of it. Especially - Federer has all the money and fame he could want, but neither motivates him. Proud to be Roger’s fan. As his fans we can draw all the inspiration in this universe from that very name – Roger federer. If such a champ(Chris Evert) is poignant, there is no wonder that ordinary people like us, his fans, were heart broken watching Roger in a ‘never seen before’ situation.

‘His passion for the sport runs deeper than most realized’. Yes. And its only such passionate who can scale such heights. Lets think for a second. Is it really necessary for him to cry? Coz Roger has already proved what sort of athlete he is, hasn’t he? Well, no. Obviously, he didn’t cry coz its something necessary to do. He once said, “One thing is for sure. I am not going to stop at 13 coz that would be terrible”. Its his goal that made him cry. It’s his struggle for his goals that got the better of the impeding walls of stoicism. He set an example to all of us about how hard we should we try to achieve our goals. After all, that’s the sort of athlete he is – exemplary.

‘Tennis is lucky to have this duo at the top’. I think nadal complements Roger(by pushing him to the limits) and tennis(by possessing a game that serves as a perfect foil for Roger’s) too. Without the Spaniard, we couldn’t have got an opportunity to learn so much from Roger.