Every time he steps on to a tennis court, Roger Federer redefines the boundaries of excellence. The feeling is magical, he said on Sunday, after winning a record eighth Wimbledon title–his 19th on the Grand Slam stage. Millions of his fans too would have experienced a similar feeling watching the master at work as he returned to his winning ways. The pristine beauty of his strokes seemed to have lost the winning edge of late. The titles had started to dry up. The champion himself doubted whether he was good enough to add any more major trophy to his glittering cabinet. Then came the injury last year and a break from the game he so dearly loves. The Federer who resurfaced in Australia at the start of the year silenced his doubters even as he surprised himself. The lacerating brilliance of his strokes laid his rivals low one by one as he won the Australian Open in a final that was a treat to the tennis lovers.
At Wimbledon, Federer maintained the same tempo that has surprised and stunned the tennis world. As he spent a quiet moment with himself, shedding tears of joy after dismissing Marin Cilic for the loss of just eight games in the final, three things were once again apparent — the deep passion he has for the game, the sagacity of his choices and his never-ending quest to improve. Nearing 36, Federer is aware he doesn’t have many years left in top flight tennis. He has to pick and choose his events, make sure his body and mind stay fresh to tackle younger opponents. After the title victory in Melbourne and a searing run on the US hard courts, he decided to skip the clay court season, knowing the surface would be unforgiving on his knees and a rampaging Rafael Nadal would be
hard to stop at Roland Garros.
The grass courts of Wimbledon have been second home to Federer and as expected, he hit the stride as soon as the tournament began. His main rivals failed to measure up. Nadal stumbled in the fourth round. Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic found their bruised bodies refusing to respond. Fresh as a drop of morning dew, Federer remained the last man standing, hitting strokes finely tuned by the hours he puts in on the practice court with relish. The same enjoyment he conveys to the watching millions — one of the reasons behind his immense popularity. Staying where you are means there is no progress, the Swiss has said, explaining his way in the sport. Indeed, his game is all about moving forward, tackling new challenges head on. Keep going, Federer.
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