He was pristine. Watching him has been a religious experience. That is not to be. Not any more.
Roger Federer is still a force to reckon with. But his indomitable aura is gone, the myth of his invincibility fallen apart. With intermittent sparks of brilliance, the Swiss Maestro is now just another pro on the turf. His decline is obvious, his demise from the scene to follow suit.
Only Roger Federer and Tiger Woods among great athletes of modern times have had the aura to survive slumps and still be regarded as dangerous until they are scraped off the canvas. That, sadly, is no longer true in either case.
As Federer left US open, his back, right leg and heart aching, his head bowed, he must wonder if he can continue to absorb as much punishment as he once did, to his spirit as well as a body unused to such failings. He was a god reduced, a humbled champion, and he has not been so despondent after a defeat in a very long time. He struggled and failed to hide his inner torment.
He is still hungry. "I vow to come back next year," he said, defiantly. But isn’t he angry too? Angry at himself for being mortal and angry at suggestions he is not as great as he has been for nearly a decade. But defeat sent him tumbling to third in the world, a position of relative ordinariness he has not experienced since 2003. And Federer has to admit, he is no longer the great that he once was. That is the truth which still eludes the greatest tennis player of all times. Extremely difficult to admit, though, even to himself. Equally painful is to watch him reduced to a mere mortal.
“Just a flick of the wrist!”, “Majestic!” Those hyperboles are from the yesteryears. Ground reality is 69 unforced errors in the semifinal against Novak Djokovic. Luke Jensen in the commentary box kept groaning at those unbelievable mishits, those faulty volleys, the rusty first serve. He betrayed fault lines that have widened almost imperceptibly over the past year or so. His demeanour shouted frustration; his racket was not a friend but an unreliable spy. These fissures will concern lovers of sublime tennis while encouraging the belief in lesser players like Berdych or Djokovic (albeit, nemesis Nadal belongs to a different league) that beating Federer is no longer so impertinent.
Roger, however, still has his chances. Federer's sport is more suited to the comeback. In tennis there is no point of no return, literally. As in boxing, there is hope until the last blow is swung. Federer has done it many times.
The Swiss is often perceived as so good he does not have to fight, which is wholly inaccurate. There is calm in his soul that disguises his determination. But injury has dented his body; we will discover in the months to come if the hurt goes deeper.
