The day Roger Federer announced his retirement, the tennis world suddenly felt like it had lost something. For many people, “King Roger” (the nickname given to this tennis player by The Times) is not only a great athlete, but he is also a gentleman who turns every shot into art.

Federer’s goodbye

On September 23, Federer played the last match of his career, playing doubles with Rafael Nadal in a loss to Jack Sock/Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-7, 8-10 at Laver Cup 2022 (taking place in London, England). However, the win or loss result with Federer is not important right now and after the match, fans’ attention turned to the emotional farewell to the career of the Swiss tennis legend.

Federer burst into tears and said: “We will get through this somehow. I’m not sad, but I feel great standing here even for the last time. I thoroughly enjoyed the fun with you guys.” match with fans, family, and friends. Before that, I felt nervous, afraid that something might happen during the match, but in the end, I played the entire match and was happy “.

“The end of an era”, “legend”, “champion of champions”, “GOAT”, “thank you”… such comments appeared densely on social networks in The day Roger Federer announced his retirement. After the Swiss tennis player’s farewell announcement video was posted, everywhere in the world, fans, politicians, and opponents all gave him praise.

In fact, Federer’s retirement announcement was not sudden. Anyone has been mentally prepared to receive this information for more than a year. The “express train” has been absent from the tennis court since Wimbledon 2021. There have been a few times when Roger hinted at a return, but just as many times, fans were disappointed.

The injury caused Federer to collapse at the age of 41. This was not the first time he faced such a heavy injury, but it was the last time he fought in the painful torment of the injury.

There will no longer be an image of Federer playing on the center court at Wimbledon, where each grass carpet has marked a great victory. There will no longer be an image of him anywhere, from Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Arthur Ashe in New York or Roland Garros in Paris. There are no more powerful forehands with the “king’s” style in every stroke.

Within a month, two tennis icons, Federer and Serena Williams, said goodbye one after another. Never before has the football world lived in such sad days. They are not only the greatest people, but also the childhood of many children. There are many children who, because of their passion, have chosen the path of professional tennis.

Elegant gentleman on the tennis court

In this era of information explosion, you don’t need to spend too much time searching for Federer. There are a series of statistics showing the greatness of this tennis player that makes people dizzy with 20 Grand Slams, 103 singles titles, 1 Olympic gold medal (mixed doubles), 1 Olympic silver medal. Or we can still talk about the man who was ranked number one in the world 310 times, including 237 consecutive weeks (from February 2004 to August 2008) ranked this position. Even in 2018, Roger was ranked number one in the world at the age of 37 and held the record of becoming the oldest tennis player to hold this position.

But the question is, is that what you remember about Federer? That’s not what we tell our children and grandchildren about a tennis legend. Those dry numbers can quickly fade from the mind.

The last thing that remains is the elegant image of Mr. Federer. More than any other player, Federer not only fights to reach the title, but he turns the ball into more art. The Wall Street Journal once summed up the style of “Express Train” with the following comments: “Federer is a rare tennis player with good taste. Anyone can win as much as him but to change Tennis becomes an art, only this tennis player. His picturesque serves, his skillful backhands, the way Roger turns his body perpendicular to his right shoulder to execute his forehands… Everything is like ballet. That’s how he enjoys this sport.”

Daily newspaper Le Monde (France) described Federer: “The Swiss tennis player always strives for the elegance of a true gentleman. Federer’s rhythm and grace make many people think they are watching a ballet on the tennis court. What makes Rodger great is that he can do it at 41 years old.”

Watching Federer play, people feel a sense of relief. He doesn’t scream every time he makes a shot like Nadal, and doesn’t use many tricks like Djokovic. Instead, “Express Train” always appears with composure and diligence in each ball handling phase. It’s like a “gentleman’s” style, always maintaining his temperament in any situation.

Tennis player Gilles Simon once painted a poetic image of Federer: “When Roger plays his forehand, you feel like he has time to let his hair down and pose for photographers right on the court.” Even though that was only a half-joke and half-truth from the French tennis player, it partly portrays Federer as elegant, full of temperament and artistry.

King Roger is immortal

The day Federer said goodbye to the tennis world, his biggest rival in his career, Nadal exclaimed: “I wish this day would never come. It’s a sad day for me and the sports world around the world. It’s so happy.” , it was an honor and a privilege to experience wonderful moments both on and off the field with him.”

No one doubts Nadal’s “sincerity”. No one can better describe Federer’s greatness than his greatest rival Nadal. Maybe, in some aspects, “Express Train” is not the best tennis player (if counted by the number of Grand Slam championships) but that does not mean that he is not a legend.

The phrase “King Roger” first appeared in the Times of London in 2018, after the Swiss tennis player won Wimbledon at the age of 37. Later, the above phrase was used quite a lot to talk about “King Roger”.

In fact, in the 2010 era (the last 12 years), people did not see the best image of Federer. This player became inferior to two younger people, Nadal and Djokovic. The number of Roger’s losses against these opponents is also increasing. However, the Swiss tennis player is still special every time he appears.

The Wall Street Journal once commented: “You can witness many tennis champions, but it will be very difficult to see the second Federer, who turned tennis into art.” For that reason, people miss and torment the image of the Swiss tennis player more than anyone else.

Or as the New York Times said about Roger’s legacy: “You don’t have to be a tennis fan to appreciate Federer’s art, but his art will make you love tennis more. That’s the legacy that Many years from now, people will remember Roger forever.”

And most of all, Federer is also an example of resilience and persistent will. Back in February 2017, “Express Train” entered the 2017 Australian Open after a long period of treatment for a knee injury (he later had to retire because of this injury). He fought like a true warrior at the age of 35. The final match with 5 breathtaking sets and victory over Nadal is a testament to the persistence of “King Roger”.

The championship in Australia ended the notion that Federer was out of time and opened a new era (though not too long) with two championships, the Australian Open 2018 and Wimbledon 2017.

However, Federer himself admits that sometimes elegance makes many people forget the persistent flow that silently works in his body. “My mental toughness is overshadowed by my technical virtuosity and the charm of my every ball. That’s why when I lose, many people just say I didn’t play well. And when I win, win, they see it as default.

Honestly, I tried everything I could. Just because I sweat less and don’t grumble too much on the field. But that doesn’t mean I don’t try. That’s just the style I’m aiming for,” Federer confided in The Times magazine.

It is no coincidence that Federer’s two former and current coaches, Stefan Edberg and Ivan Ljubicic, both appreciate the value “Express Train” brings. Many years from now, people will remember Roger as an example to learn from. Mr. Edberg said: “I admire Federer for being able to stay inspired for a long time. To play this sport requires a lot of effort and practice, but Federer has done it in a way like no other. Federer and Nadal is a symbol of perseverance. No one expected that, after 6 months of injury treatment, they would return and create 5 breathtaking final sets at the Australian Open 2017.”

Meanwhile, current coach Ivan Ljubicic affirmed: “There is no doubt that Roger has changed the tennis world forever. Everyone is looking to Federer to be able to keep up with him.”

Live life like Federer

Not only elegant on the tennis court, in real life, Federer is also a true gentleman. In 2016, CQ magazine awarded the title of “most stylish man” to the Swiss tennis player. NZZ Bellevue magazine emphasized that Roger has never been out of fashion in terms of clothing.

Few people know that Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue fashion magazine, is a passionate fan of Federer. In their stories, the topic of fashion is always mentioned quite a lot. Mrs. Anna assessed Roger as having very good taste and aesthetics. At the same time, this powerful woman emphasized: “There is always only one Federer.”

Don’t be surprised if, after retiring, Federer begins to venture into the fashion industry. NZZ Bellevue emphasized: “After a sports career, anyone must continue in life. Federer prepared and paved the way to the fashion field very early.” Roger is currently the image representative for Uniqlo with a contract worth 300 million USD within 10 years (from 2018).

Although he is not the person who has won the most Grand Slams, Federer is the best earner in tennis history. According to estimates by Marca newspaper, the total amount of money this tennis player earned from advertising bonuses has reached 1 billion USD. His net worth is now up to 550 million USD.

When he first started his career in 1998, Federer had an income of $28,000, but that number increased 400 times 10 years later. An astonishing number. In 2022, even though he does not compete, he will still pocket about 90 million USD before taxes (the most in the tennis industry). This money mainly comes from advertising contracts and business activities.

After retiring, Federer can spend more time with his wife Mirka, his solid support throughout his career, and his four children in his small home. But perhaps, people will see him traveling on the road to do charity work.

Roger has a charity foundation named after him. The foundation focuses on educational development, especially in low-income countries such as Botswana, Malawi and Zambia. The foundation’s statement is as follows: “We aim to give children the best start in education in a sustainable way.”

Not only that, people also saw Federer appearing to help in many hot spots, from forest fires in Australia, helping poor children in Africa with meals, and supporting Covid-19 prevention in Switzerland. Switzerland… In the first 5 months of 2020 alone, the Swiss tennis player donated 5 million USD to charity.

Federer has just completed his mission in the tennis world. He tried very hard to hold on to retirement but failed. His life is the adventurous journey of a conqueror. That is also the glamorous life of the tennis court artist. A dreamy life. Now, when everything is over, he can rest, before moving on to conquer his next goals.