FEDERER MISSES HIS FORMER RIVALS

http://www.10sballs.com/2012/11/09/federer-misses-his-former-rivals/

As he motors through to another semi-final at the World Tour Finals with
ease, Roger Federer is sparing a thought for the retired rivals of his tennis
generation who are no longer in the mix. In the last month, over-30 players
including Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andy Roddick and Ivan Ljubicic have all packed
in their careers after varying levels of success.


But Federer, still flawless at age 31, continues on his steady path of
major title and record book success as he has done for much of the past decade.


“The first feeling I get is I’m a bit sad because I love watching them
play still today,” said the all-time leader on 17 Grand Slam titles as he
continued the chase for a seventh trophy at the year-end extravaganza.


“They could easily still play the tour today, they only just retired.
If they retire in the top 30, top 50, whatever they were ranked, they could be
the top 50 for the next five years. That’s just not what they want to be doing
any longer. They decide to hang up the racquets, I respect that in a big way.”


Federer is following his own path as he and wife Mirka bring up a set
of twin girls. It’s tennis and family life in a convivial mix for the Swiss.
But it cannot be the same for every competitor as each makes his own career
choices.


“I always wish them all the best because there is a life after tennis,
there must be,” said Federer. “Those are smart guys, great champions. I think
it’s going to be interesting to see what they’re going to follow now.


“I do feel sad not seeing them so often anymore on tour because I like
those two guys, or other guys that came from my generation as well, who have
marked the sport, motivated me, admired me, crushed some dreams of mine.


“I always felt sad when I have to do the video message for Andy or
Gonzalez or Ljubicic or Ferrero. It’s not really what I want to do, but I’m
happy because I know it might mean a lot to them. Yeah, sort of the time has
come.”


It’s an interesting time of life, I guess, because you’ve done it not
only on the tour, but it goes way back when you were a little kid. It’s
emotional. It’s supposed to be.”
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There is a lot of sadness in this interview. It is a universal feeling. No one can escape the passage of time. All good things
must come to an end. thus I think Roger’s sad because he knows his own time of retirement is ever so near.
He's also very human and not afraid to show real emotions. I can almost feel his hidden sorrow and tears.

I’m watching his last two WTF matches and I predict last year may be the
last time RF held the London trophy,
at age 30. The WTF is not like the other 4 majors for RF. He’s had clear
ownership of this special year-end event. I just wonder how he’d feel if he
doesn’t win or even reach the final this year. Would surrendering his WTF
ownership be a factor for him to speed up his decision to retire?

It's strange when you see your generation disappearing from your immediate world, almost like seeing old people read obituaries to follow his age-fellows and school friends dying.

Fortunately, just like old people love life and hold dear onto it, so does Fed love tennis and keeps going.
He will keep going until his body can hold it together I think.

I think the mind will be fine.

So long as journalists don't hassle him with retirement questions after a potential QF slam loss and courts don't get any slower.

Fed must be preserved and cherished as long as possible. He is doing his bit and tennis world must do theirs, too

There is always the Champions Tour.

Nostalgia like this is an impending retirement marker when the player realises that they have come to a decision about their Tennis career and when they want to walk away from the court.

I suspect, the meticulous planner that he is, he is already planned his left stage exit.

I am not surprised cause he knows the tennis those coudl play. I have never heard Federer say soomething like that for the current top players. I doubt very much he loves to watch those long matches between Murray/Djoko/Nadal.

Simply put who here keep rewatching those 4 and 5 hours match? Not me.

laverfan wrote:There is always the Champions Tour.

Nostalgia like this is an impending retirement marker when the player realises that they have come to a decision about their Tennis career and when they want to walk away from the court.

I suspect, the meticulous planner that he is, he is already planned his left stage exit.

Somehow, I don't think RF is keen on the senior tour. I think once he retires, that's it, except perhaps playing occasionally for the charity tournament. He likes to REALLY compete and I don't think the CT offers that type of competition.

A lot of the old timers CT players are there for the money, hardly an incentive for Roger. I heard he now makes 50 Milliion/yr just from endorsements without even touching a tennis ball.

SR wrote:Somehow, I don't think RF is keen on the senior tour. I think once he retires, that's it, except perhaps playing occasionally for the charity tournament. He likes to REALLY compete and I don't think the CT offers that type of competition.

I was being facetious. He will probably play within the ATP till at least 35+ or more. He is quite capable and being a good student of Tennis history, he does realise longevity is an important aspect of his career, especially in the current climate and styles of Tennis.

SR wrote:A lot of the old timers CT players are there for the money, hardly an incentive for Roger. I heard he now makes 50 Milliion/yr just from endorsements without even touching a tennis ball.

I do not think he needs the money either.

Whatever he will do I am pretty sure he will keep playing tennis. He won't be Vets trophy hunting but playing teh senior tour would bring him a good level of tennis and fun to play legends. But I think above all he will be keen to play new retirees as well as peak players to "feel" their games. Coaching or commentating might be other options.

He is probably going to have some political interest in his country. In fact this might be the only thing keeping him out of the courts.

Tenez wrote:

He is probably going to have some political interest in his country. In fact this might be the only thing keeping him out of the courts.

With Safin in Duma, Nole a virtual King of Serbia, and Fed topping a right-wing party (Swiss Germans all are ultra right wing) wow, I could rekinle my interest in politics

SR: "I predict last year may be the last time RF held the London trophy."

MAJOR REVISION ALERT:

After watching Roger yesterday, I should be ashamed that I prematurely predicted the maestro's surrender of the wtf ownership.

I think Fed fans in general are a bunch of cry babies and we whine too much about the GOAT's potential to just keep raising the bar, even at 31.

You can see from his gaze, he was oozing determination. He still wants this trophy badly enough and I think he has what it takes
to fry the biggest fish tonight.

But win or lose vs Djoko, it almost doesn't even matter in the big picture. Most objective tennis fans knows what I mean by this.

Regardless, here's cheers to the Swiss Goat who's given us something very special only he's capable of delivering and that something many agree is "a joy to watch".

Oh, the thought of his retirement just make me want to break up.