Federer to AP: Tennis will resist big-name retirements

LONDON (AP) — Roger Federer was paying attention along with everyone else when Serena Williams played what is expected to be her last match three weeks ago at the US Open.

“I’m not surprised. Just very similar to me, in many ways. We were hoping it would come at some point,” Federer told The Associated Press. “You never want players like Serena to retire… I just thought, ‘What a great career.'”

The Swiss acknowledges that his successive retirements after roughly a quarter-century each in tennis — he is 41 and walks away with 20 Grand Slam titles and she turns 41 on Monday and has 23 major singles championships — will cause that some fans move away from this sport.

However, Federer insists that many will stay.

“I mean, look, it will leave some fans without the same taste for tennis. We could lose some, because they will say, ‘OK, well, that chapter is closed for me and I will move on to another sport or another athlete,’” Federer said in an interview on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Laver Cup, where the last match of his His stellar run will be in doubles alongside his rival Rafael Nadal for the Europe team on Friday night.

“And some will stay forever, because tennis is just a sport (that), once you’re in it, you’re usually in it. That’s why I don’t think a lot of people are going to leave,” he continued. “But maybe they don’t wake up at 3:00 in the morning for the Australian Open anymore. Or they may not use their vacation time to travel to a place. They might say for a couple of years, ‘Okay, I’m going to go with a friend and take a good adventure trip somewhere,’ until they find their way back.”

He and Williams — along with Nadal, the 36-year-old Spaniard who holds the men’s record 22 Grand Slam titles, and Novak Djokovic, the 35-year-old Serb with 21 titles — helped create a golden era in the sport, attracting new viewers and inspiring new players.

“Serena and Roger probably have more fans than anyone else in tennis,” said Taylor Fritz, a 24-year-old Californian who is the highest-ranked American in the world, ranked 12th, and who is part of the Rest of the World team in London. “It is difficult to replace two people as iconic as them, but I still think there are many exciting moments ahead.”

Still, what happens after they leave?

“These two players are irreplaceable. I don’t think there’s any doubt about it,” said John McEnroe, who won seven major trophies between 1979 and 1984. “But the sport goes on, no matter what, and we’ve seen that in every sport over and over again.” .

That is why Federer is among the optimists about the future of tennis.

“I am a big believer, always, that tennis is bigger than anyone else,” he said, “and will always create new superstars.”

Federer believes that the images of highlights that circulate on social networks can help. The same goes for the “captivating story” narrative of each new featured player.

McEnroe highlighted the need for the sport to better market its new figures.

Someone Federer thinks might fit into the “superstar” category is Carlos Alcaraz, the 19-year-old Spaniard who was just crowned US Open champion and became the youngest man to reach the top of the world’s computerized rankings. ATP, whose preparation began in 1973.

Federer watched — on television — some of Alcaraz’s epic quarterfinal matchup at Flushing Meadows against Jannik Sinner, a 21-year-old Italian. It lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes, ending at 2:50 a.m. in New York — 8:50 a.m. in Federer’s native Switzerland, so the father of two pairs of twins missed the fifth set, “since he had to take the children to school.”

He was impressed with both players.

“Super agile. They hit the ball hard, forehand and backhand,” Federer said. “Always done, those who move the best are the best tennis players. We’ve seen it with Novak, we’ve seen it with Rafa and we’ve seen it with me, Lleyton (Hewitt). You can name many. … By covering the field so well, you give yourself more time and less stress”.

By virtue of his comprehensive repertoire, Alcaraz has drawn comparisons to Federer’s, although perhaps it is too early to put their names in one sentence.

Federer did not distort the comparison.

“He has great power with his forehand. And that opens the doors for everything. In this sense, when you can do that, like I did, you can decide: ‘Did he throw a drop? Did I hit him hard? Do I hit him hard again? Or do I go looking for an angle? Or do I go to the net?’” explained Federer, who captured his first Grand Slam title when he was 21 years old.

“My problem when I was young — and I don’t think I wasn’t as good as he was at his age — is that I had a hard time making the decision. He seems to have more clarity. He is stronger mentally. He works harder. He notices it in his physical complexion. If you see our two bodies, we are two different types. He has many things going in a very good direction. He is left as a mere matter of imposing himself on others”.