Why the 'genius' tag fits perfectly on Roger Federer
The Oxford dictionary defines the word 'genius' as a “very great and rare natural ability or skill, especially in a particular area”. Only when you sit and ponder does it hit you, that the tag ‘genius’ has to be conferred on a person with utmost care.
The world of sport has seen several talented Sportsmen, but a Genius is hard to come by. And that is why the likes of Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar in cricket, or Diego Maradona Lionel Messi and Pele in football, are rare commodities.
From a tennis context, there is a Novak Djokovic and a Rafael Nadal, but most importantly there is Roger Federer.
Watching Federer at his best is an enlightening experience. The man conjures impossible shots out of nowhere, akin to a magician pulling out a rabbit out of an empty hat. You don’t know how he does it, but you gape at him in unabashed awe.
Watching Federer at his best can almost give you the feeling that playing tennis is the easiest thing in the world. His game is pure and pristine, like the smooth flow of a stream. The way he glides on the court, the way he conjures that ethereal drop shot, the way he mesmerizes us with his single-handed backhand takes sport watching to peaks inaccessible to the lesser mortals.
And that is why, irrespective of how many Grand Slam titles the likes of Nadal and Djokovic win, it will be hard for them to create the same kind of memories that the Swiss Maestro does. Nadal bludgeons the ball, Federer caresses it; Djokovic runs on the court, Federer glides on it.
At the age of 37, Federer still has the enthusiasm of a child. Even now, tears stream down his cheeks if he wins a title; even now, his eyes twinkle when he enters the tennis court; and most importantly, even now, Federer continues to bewitch us with his magic on the tennis court.
Federer’s journey has elevated the sport itself to a new level, and has given meaning to the lives of millions of tennis fans around the world. It has made him synonymous with the great game of tennis itself.
Over the last two decades, Federer’s genius has shone like a bright luminous sun, relegating the other mortals to the background.
Sport has seen many talented athletes, but geniuses are hard to come by. And from a purely tennis context, does the tag ‘genius’ fit anyone more perfectly than it does Federer?