"Look at Roger Federer, he is 37 or 38 and still at the top" - Cristiano Ronaldo on the motivation levels of elite athletes
Roger Federer is often regarded as the embodiment of resilience and longevity, given how he has been able to motivate himself well into his 30s despite achieving almost everything in the sport. The Swiss legend has preserved his body and channeled his intensity to produce some of his best tennis in recent years, making him an inspiration for many - including one of the fittest sportspersons of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 35-year-old Portuguese recently appeared alongside star boxer Gennady Golovkin on a documentary called ‘Parallel Worlds’. The duo spoke at length on several topics, including a brief discussion on why physical ability should not be defined by age.
According to Cristiano Ronaldo, motivation is a necessary tool in the armory of every elite sportsperson. CR7 cited the example of Roger Federer who, at almost 40 years of age, still maintains his hunger to perform and win at the highest level.
“At 33 years you start to think that you are going downhill,” Cristiano Ronaldo said. “I want to continue in sports, in football. People will look at me and say, 'Cristiano was an incredible player but now he's slow'. I don't want that. You can take care of your body a lot, but that's not the problem. It depends - from your head, from your motivation and from experience, which I think is the most difficult thing. In sport you can gain maturity. Look at Federer in tennis, he is 37 or 38 and still at the top.”
Roger Federer is currently recuperating from double knee surgery, much like his long injury layoff in 2016. The Swiss has missed almost the entirety of 2020, and he recently revealed that he might skip the 2021 Australian Open since he is yet to reach 100% fitness.
What keeps Roger Federer so motivated even at the age of 39?
Every time Roger Federer achieves a new landmark in tennis - be it Wimbledon 2009, Wimbledon 2012, Australian Open 2017, or even his 100th ATP title at Dubai in 2019 - his fans start calling for his retirement. They want the Swiss legend to sign off on a high, especially since he has won almost everything there is to win in tennis.
Roger Federer has proven himself against the likes of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, as well as against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He has won on the fast courts of the early 2000s, and also the slow courts of the 2010s. He has succeeded in all conditions and scenarios, ticking off practically everything on the tennis check-list.
Some would argue Roger Federer is still looking to win the elusive Olympics singles gold medal. But is it just that one thing that has been driving Federer to keep scaling new heights ever since he went past Sampras’ record?
To put it bluntly, no. Roger Federer is not a man driven by records and laurels. Yes, he loves winning and seeing himself at the top, but he loves tennis more - and that is exactly what keeps him going at 39, even after two knee surgeries.
Cristiano Ronaldo, being an incredibly motivated athlete himself, would of course be impressed and inspired by that. Like recognizes like, after all.