The biggest Swiss tennis tournament would start tomorrow. Every year it is impossible to imagine the Swiss Indoors without: The hooting, red rows in the St. Jakobshalle with cowbells, flags and large banners with “King Roger” on them. Roger Federer’s fan club “fans4roger”.
Instead: nothing. The Basel Tennis Festival fell victim to Corona. And King Roger wouldn’t be there anyway because he canceled the whole season in early summer. A huge disappointment for his closest followers!
“It is an extreme shame – there is no other tournament where so many of us meet as in Basel,” says Dorisaken, one of the club’s most loyal fans, who spends all of her vacation trips to Federer tournaments, has long since collected her personal Grand Slam. Member of the Board, Spoon, takes care of the activities and gatherings of the 631 members from 29 countries. But now they fell out in abundance. “The social aspect in the club is gone,” she says sadly.
Likewise the emotions that give goose bumps when the beloved Basel bidder plays for a tournament victory. “When Roger canceled it was a huge shock for us.” Some would have gone to Basel without the superstar. “But there are those of us who then sell their tickets,” says Spoon, “without Roger, there is no tennis – it really does exist.
«A foretaste of what’s in store for us»
The fan club still publishes four magazines a year, sells merchandising items and produces gifts for its members. “The majority of the expenses are still there,” explains President Thomas Reuteler. The small savings in expenses would have little impact on the club fund. “This situation is a foretaste of what will inevitably come our way.”
Doris Löffel knows that too: “All of this shows us that Roger will not play forever. We have to submit to our fate. ” At one of the rare meetings in September, Federer was of course the main topic. Above all, the shaky records now set by 20-time Grand Slam winners Nadal and Djokovic, who will probably also crack the 310-week record as world number 1. “We’ll survive that too,” said Spoon bravely. «Roger got off lightly, also in terms of the ranking. He couldn’t have picked a better time for his surgery. Better now than next year! “
Comeback in Australia
Fans4Roger are looking forward to the Australian Open when Federer plans to intervene again. A tour without Roger is simply not the same, it lacks the intensity, the enthusiasm. Dorisöffel, like many in the club, doubts that she will ever again support a player with so much passion. “Certainly not today and tomorrow,” she says, as if a marriage was coming to an end. «Roger has been part of our lives for more than 15 years. When he leaves, we will cry a lot. “
What comes next is still in the stars for the club president. Reuteler: “We’ll probably have to bury the Roger fan club. That is the difference to a team club like FC Basel, where you can continue to fan. ” Reuteler also misses the Swiss on the tour. But he wants to act as a grounded opposite pole on his members. «There are people here who live for Roger. A world will collapse for them. But as brutal as it is: tennis was there before Roger and will be after him too. “
