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.