Who hasn’t heard this name? If someone hasn’t, then he can be considered to be unaware of the happenings in his vicinity.
A magician, a genius, an artist, probably the god himself at work on the tennis court. You’ll fall short of superlatives when you see this man play on the tennis court. In fact, even Shakespeare would have fallen short of words if asked to describe him. You’ll envy him when you see him on the battlefield (yes, his battlefield is the tennis court). His composure, cool, temperament……everything about him is just so perfect.
This great, yet so humble, man known by the name Roger Federer, is popularly called ‘Fed-Ex’ or ‘Federer Express’ or ‘Swiss Maestro’ by his fans. He has won 16 Grand Slam singles titles (till the date of writing this article. This got to be mentioned because he is simply unstoppable), more than any other male player. Federer's versatility was epitomised by Jimmy Connors' statement: "In an era of specialists, you're either a clay court specialist, a grass court specialist, or a hard court specialist...or you're Roger Federer."
On getting the privilege to see him play (well…yes, it’s actually a privilege), one realizes his artistry, the aura of this man, the atmosphere he creates when he steps on the battlefield with his array of shots. He is just invincible. Hemlock, A crowbar to the knees, Locusts- To most tennis fans, these might seem like the only ways to topple Roger Federer, arguably the greatest tennis player of all time. These are times, as you watch the young Swiss play, when the jaw drops and eyes protrude and sounds are made that bring spouses in from other rooms to see if you’re O.K. The moments are more intense if you’ve played enough tennis to understand the impossibility of what you just saw him do. It’s like something out of “The Matrix.”
Talking about his shots, he has got them all in his arsenal; too many shots, too much talent in one body. It's hardly fair that one person can do all this—his backhands, his forehands, volleys, serving, his court position. The way he moves around the court, you feel like he's barely touching the ground.
Federer is an all-court player known for his fluent style of play and shot making. Federer mainly plays from the baseline but is also comfortable at the net being one of the best volleyers in the game today. It seems as if the net is being guarded by The Great Wall of China. The ball just doesn’t wish to cross it. Federer’s forehand is a great liquid whip, his serve has world-class pace and a degree of placement and variety no one else comes close to; the service motion is lithe and uneccentric, distinctive (on TV) only in a certain eel-like all-body snap at the moment of impact. He is often able to produce big serves on key points during a match. His anticipation and court sense are otherworldly, and his footwork is the best in the game.
He is barely human when it comes to defense. He seems to return everything that comes his way down the baseline. He moves like a fluid on the court. Every player on tour would love to smack more winners than Federer. But trying to outshoot the game's most graceful shooter is like trying to out-jump Michael Jordan in his prime. It just won't happen.
As graceful an artist as he is on the tennis court, no true artist paints with two hands. The grace with which he hits the backhand, a one-hander that he can drive flat, load with topspin, or slice — the slice with such snap that the ball turns shapes in the air and skids on the grass to maybe ankle height, it can’t get any better. It attracts admirers. And that backhand slice……..WOW!!! It’s the most admired shot in tennis. He deprives the ball of its pace, thereby teasing his opponent and thus forcing them to make the error by opening up the court for this master to hit the ball with extreme brutality.
The angle that he generates when hitting shots leaves everyone wondering whether he’s got a sextant in his hands. ‘How can someone hit that shot with so much accuracy and precision?’ It leaves the opponent gasping for breath. ‘What can one do when your opponent plays such marvelous tennis?’ He is able to see, or create, gaps and angles for winners that no one else can envision. All this is true, and yet none of it really explains anything or evokes the experience of watching this man play.
His between-the-legs backwards cross-court winner against Djokovic (which was awarded as the best shot of the year 2009) still mesmerizes you.
The only way left to beat him is to take him to a restaurant and put a little hot tamale in his food.
After achieving so much in life, probably almost everything, he’s so humble and generous. That speaks volumes of his grandeur. His unusually steady and mature commitment to his girlfriend (now wife) makes every girl wish for a partner like him. He's a real person. He's not an enigma. Off the court he's not trying to be somebody. If you met him at McDonald's and you didn't know who he was, you would have no idea that he's one of the best athletes in the world. His politeness and frankness have endeared him to the tennis fans. He’s the king of tennis arena!!!
