Roger Federer: The Greatest Most Humble Of All, Farewell From A Fangirl

I knew there would come a day when Roger Federer would close down the curtains to his professional career, and yet his announcement to retire feels shocking and personal. On Thursday, the 41-year-old Federer took to his social media to announce the news of his retirement from professional tennis. He will play his last tournament at the Laver Cup 2022 in London. He concluded his long farewell letter by writing, "Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and I will never leave you."

Roger Federer, the 20 Grand Slam titles holder, is the unique combination of not just being the best tennis icon but also the most delightful to watch on the court. When I started gaining an interest in tennis back in boarding school, at a time when I could only access news via newspapers, I instantly took to liking 24-year-old Rafael Nadal, a player who was making waves by winning his first grand slam by defeating Novak Djokovic. Of course, I'd always heard of Roger Federer, who wouldn't? He had been winning Grand Slams consecutively since 2003. It was when I deeply and religiously started following the game, I truly witnessed the greatness of the Swiss tennis sensation, and circling back to his 2003 Wimbledon title followed by all other games and wins, I became a fan. My love for tennis made me comprehend the great athletic ability that Federer mastered, his discipline inspired me, and his effortless charisma that brought a class to the tennis world made me a fangirl for life, and today, as he retires, I feel privileged to have watched him play all these years.

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What makes Roger Federer the greatest?

As an eleven-year-old ball boy at the Swiss Indoor court in 1993, Federer always dreamed of playing on the other side of the court. He may have achieved his dream, but as he says, "In my heart when I look back, I'll always be a ball boy dreaming to play." Federer started working towards his dream when he played and won the Junior Wimbledon title at 16, and that was just the beginning of his illustrious professional career. A countryside boy from Basel, Switzerland, who once dreamed of playing tennis, became an unmatched sporting legend of all time.

Federer's hold at the centre-court is unmatched. He's always been like this homecoming king at Wimbledon, year after year, and his eight titles on the grass court prove that. He tasted his first success at Wimbledon when he was just 21, and his last Wimbledon title was at 35. For someone with as many Grand Slams as Federer, his discipline was what mattered to him the most. Well, as viewers of the game, we've boxed players' success based on information around which player wins the most Grand Slams, something which Federer didn't believe in. He didn't believe in the race to the highest, he believed in playing his best, and facing loss with utmost acceptance.

Mirka Federer
Photo credit: People Magazine

His playing ability was also more about style, texture, and spot-on focus. Having dominated the world of tennis with one French Open title, five US Open titles, six Australian Open titles and eight Wimbledon titles, Federer could have undeniably played for more years to come if it were not for his persistent injuries in the past three years.

Roger Federer: A Fan Favourite

Federer has been a fan favourite not just because of his exemplary sporting techniques, but also because of his kindness throughout his sporting journey. In 2017, when Zizou, a huge Federer fan and budding tennis player, asked Federer at a press conference, “Will you play for 8-9 years so I can play with you when I go Pro,” the tennis star replied, “Yes, pinky promise.” Five years later, after thorough planning, Federer honoured his promise to Zizou last month. Zizou flew to Switzerland thinking it was for tennis training with his coach, but he was overwhelmed to see hundreds of young fans cheering for him on the tennis court. To his surprise, Federer emerged from behind the court, and the two tennis players enjoyed a game playing one another. Like many varied examples, this is why I have always admired him.

The Olympic gold medalist has always been a great family man. He has never shied away from showing emotions on the court when it came to his family, his love for his fans, and his appreciation for his competitors. In his bittersweet retirement announcement video, he publicly thanked his spouse Mirka Federer and his four children - two sets of identical twins - for standing by him throughout his journey. He became the legend he is today also because of his wife's support over two decades, and he never fails to acknowledge and value that. As a proud father, he always believed that his children watching him play was just as precious as winning a title. I've heard people say it's important to separate the sportsperson and the person who is off the court. I couldn't get myself to do that. As someone who has followed his career trajectory for the past decade, his off-the-court antiques have left a lasting impression on me, like many others.

Recently, when Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz won his first major title - ironically the same week now that Federer has announced his retirement - I, like the rest of the world, realised that the winds of change are here, that we are going to see major changes in the world of tennis with new, younger players reigning grand slams, that the dominance of the powerful trio of Federer-Nadal-Djokovic will subtly, and gracefully, fade in the years to come. Sure, there will be new talents, and new champions, that's the bittersweet thing about change. However, how Federer's greatness, humility and sporting ability made millions of people worldwide feel will never change. It's bittersweet to think his fans won't see him playing after the Laver Cup. But as I bid farewell, I'm glad that his contribution to the world of tennis is etched in my memory forever, and his legacy lies in how I'll remember him - the greatest, most graceful sportsperson in the world.

The views expressed are the author's own.