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Federer announces retirement


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Certainly an ATG and, up until a couple of years ago, a serious GOAT contender.  I stopped watching tennis for the most part after the serve-and-volley, one-handed backhand era ended. But I was a Federer fan mainly so I could watch that one-handed backhand and the effortlessness with which he moved around the court - like he was on a hoverboard.  Seems to be a good person, too. Will be missed.

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23 minutes ago, sage said:

You can't call yourself a man if you have a two-handed backhand. It's like playing tennis with training wheels.

I don’t think one-hand backhand tennis players do it to show off their manliness. It’s just how they were coached , practiced and found convenient for them for maximum results. 

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26 minutes ago, coffee_rules said:

I don’t think one-hand backhand tennis players do it to show off their manliness. It’s just how they were coached , practiced and found convenient for them for maximum results. 

I find it the most beautiful shot in tennis. I support all one handed backhand players instinctively 

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Aesthetically the most pleasing player to watch, a throwback to an earlier era where tennis skills were more important than athletic ability and stamina  Transitioned from serve and volley which he used to beat Sampras at Wimbledon to baseline style, with which he started winning slams. Would have been a GOAT level player in any era, such is his versatility and adaptability. At his peak he was poetry in motion. Wimbledon, Roger, the post championship final interview with Bud Collins were like a long running TV show. 5 time consecutive champion at Wimbledon and 7 time consecutive finalist. 5 time back to back US open wins and 6 time back to back finals. Was world #1 for 237 consecutive weeks, which is unmatched IIRC. And his fest if winning 5 back to back finals at not just one but 2 slams is unlikely to be ever matched.

 

Played with a tiny sized racket for most of his career while his younger opponents used bazooka level bigger rackets. Finally switched to a bigger racket and beat Nadal in the AO final in 2017, to avenge his 2009 loss. After that match, Roger regularly beat Nadal, who could no longer exploit the high kicking forehand to Roger's OHBH. If Federer had done this a few years earlier, he might have ended up with more slams. His last hurrah was the 2019 Wimbledon final where he fell just short of winning, but to be honest, going that far at his age is itself a commendable achievement.

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20 hours ago, sage said:

I find it the most beautiful shot in tennis. I support all one handed backhand players instinctively 

Me too! I LOVE Wawrinka's backhand. It is like a sledgehammer which his one trick pony opponents tried to compete against and got crushed. The AO final where he beat Nadal was quite memorable for his beastly backhand shots.

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Most beautiful athlete to watch, forget tennis, I am talking all sports. Poetry in motion, ballet dancer+boxer rolled into one. No other athlete has given me as much joy as the great Swiss. My first tennis idol, can recollect each of his big matches starting from 2003 Wimbledon SF against Roddick, still remember the shirt he wore, where I was, what I was doing etc. during (almost) all the major highlights of his legendary career. Since he has been semi-retired for almost 2 years now, easier to take this news. Will miss him so so much.

 

Nadal may have surpassed his GS count, now Nole may be regarded universally as the overall GOAT, but it was Federer those two were chasing their entire career, not the other way round. Federer set every benchmark for his two great younger rivals, he had a huge role in them reaching their maxima, truly greatest era in men's tennis. Has been a privilege to watch most of the action these last 2 decades. Nole has won me over these last few years, but before that it was all Federer, only Federer. I may be in minority but I truly enjoyed Djokerer matches more than Fedal ones, and they were high quality and enjoyable on all surfaces!!!!! IMO the mantle of GOAT passed from Fed to Nole, true all-conditions players who would have succeeded in every era. Nadal is a legend in his unique way and may well end up as the statistical GOAT but I have special attachment to the other two and rate them higher, maybe that's just my biased take or whatever. 

 

Thank you for the show great man, words can't express how much joy you gave to millions of people for so many years. 

 

Hope to see them play each other in legends' matches 10-15 years from now, still will provide more breathtaking magic than half the mugs of current tour.

Roger Federer Say It's 'Obvious' Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic 'Will Win  More' Grand Slam Titles Than Him

 

 

And my favorite memory of Fed, from the lowest of lows (RG/SW19 2008, AO 2009, mono etc.) to finally winning in Paris and equaling Sampras, Robert Bruce and the Spider story in modern setting. 

With Elusive French Open Title, Federer Secures His Place - The New York  Times

 

And what a beautiful, supportive family he has, happy retired life champ.

Edited by Gollum
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