sport news Roger Federer played with such grace that his matches belonged on the culture ... trends now
Statistically, Roger Federer does not retire as one of the two greatest tennis players to have graced the game. If Margaret Court is better than Serena Williams, then Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic are an improvement on Federer.
He hasn't won a Grand Slam since the 2018 Australian Open, hasn't reached the last four since 2020. His last set of Grand Slam tennis ended in a 6-0 reverse at Wimbledon in 2021.
Yet we know all of this is illusionary. With Federer's retirement, tennis has lost its greatest artist, a protagonist unlike any other, a man who elevated sport until it became almost highbrow.
Roger Federer (above) announced his retirement from tennis at the age of 41 on Thursday
At his best, Federer in full flow felt like his matches should be reviewed on the culture pages, away from the sweat and effort of the sporting arena. Comically, the man himself never seemed to break into anything as unseemly as a sweat. His opponents would toil, yet he remained sublimely aloof.
Not in reality, of course. Federer's true art was making his dedication and determination — and a very mean streak of ruthlessness — look like effortless flow. He shared epic, almost endless, gladiatorial battles against the best of the best in an era competitive and draining like never before, and all while apparently unflappable.
He announced himself on Centre Court by toppling the master across five sets. In 2001, Federer, 19, defeated Pete Sampras in the fourth round on what is traditionally known as Manic Monday.
Sampras would never win Wimbledon again, his era of domination stopped at seven titles. In 2017, Federer would make it eight with a straight sets win over Marin Cilic, clinching the record. He would beat the Croatian again at the Australian Open the next year, the 20th and last of his singles titles.
He announced himself in 2001, when Federer, 19, defeated Pete Sampras at Wimbledon
'The champions' champion,' announced Billie Jean King on Thursday, perhaps grasping for superlatives after exhausting 'greatest of all time' for Serena Williams in New York little more than a week ago. She described him as having the most complete game of his generation and nobody denied it.
However you wanted it played, Federer could play it. He could go on the attack or defend for his life. He was elegant, almost delicate, then crushingly powerful.
He was quick on his feet, with another few metres in his brain. He was tactically astute and pounced on every chance. His forehand was arguably the
