Roger Federer loved to win, of course, and at the peak of his career almost always did.
asserted
Federer → love → career
All those victories and trophies he piled up alone would have made Federer remembered forever in tennis, but they were only part of the reason he enjoyed playing.
asserted
he → pile → reason
He liked traveling to tournaments, meeting people and making new friends, whether they were on the other side of the net or sitting in the stands.
asserted
they → like → stands
Only after he finished competing did Federer realize how much that impacted his legacy in the sport.
asserted
that → compete → sport
“I think when you retire, I think I said it before, that there was a lot of talk also about maybe my personality and what I brought to the game overall when I wasn’t on court, which I was a little surprised,” Federer said.
asserted
Federer → think → court
“I thought it was about, in the moment, forehands and backhands and saving break points and victories and all that stuff.
asserted
it → think → points
“But actually it becomes a little bit, not irrelevant eventually, but it’s about what were you remembered for, how did you behave in the locker rooms or in the corridors or maybe with the media, or with the tournament directors, the ball kids.
asserted
you → become → directors
Federer will have a chance to reflect back on it all Saturday when he is enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
asserted
he → have → Newport
The 45-year-old from Switzerland, who will be honored along with broadcaster and former player Mary Carillo, said it would be his first trip to Newport.
asserted
it → honor → Newport
That seemed surprising, given how many places he’s gone for his tennis.
asserted
he → seem → tennis
Sure, there was regular stops such as New York and London and Paris for Grand Slam tournaments, but there were also cities like Cape Town, South Africa, for an exhibition match against Rafael Nadal that drew nearly 52,000 fans; or Mexico City, for one against Alexander Zverev that drew more than 42,000.
asserted
that → be → 42,000
Those were near the end of his career, when Federer was forced to limit his schedule for health reasons.
asserted
Federer → force → reasons
He hated having to do so, because he liked going too many places, even ones that didn’t host the biggest events.
asserted
that → hat → events
“For me, if I look back, that’s kind of what I’m very happy about, that I went through 25 years on tour, and actually felt like I made a lot of friends and a lot of people miss me,” Federer said.
asserted
Federer → look → me
They come up to me and say, ‘What a shame you’re not playing anymore.’
asserted
you → come → me
“Then I get a flashback saying it was an amazing time, and I say it every time.
asserted
I → get → it
I loved it, and it’s a shame I can’t be on the tour anymore.
asserted
I → love → tour
But it was a great, great time and I miss it dearly.”
asserted
I → miss → it
The fans clearly miss Federer.
asserted
fans → miss → Federer
When he returned to the U.S. Open this week for an exhibition, his first time playing in Flushing Meadows since 2019, the lines of fans waiting to get into Arthur Ashe Stadium resembled a night in the second week of the tournament, not well before it even began.
asserted
it → return → tournament
Federer won five straight U.S. Open titles from 2004-08, during a stretch when he compiled a 247-15 record from 2004-06 and reached a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005-07, winning eight.
asserted
he → win → eight
He went on to win 1,251 matches and 103 tournaments, including 20 Grand Slams.
asserted
He → go → Slams
“He’s the best I’ve ever played against,” Andre Agassi, Federer’s opponent in the 2005 final, said in a video the U.S. Open showed before Federer took the court Tuesday.
asserted
Federer → ’ → court
The way he won, with far more flair than some stuffy champions of the past but without the temper tantrums of others, earned him accolades that his skills alone couldn’t.
asserted
skills → win → accolades
He won the ATP Tour’s sportsmanship award every year from 2004-09, and again from 2011-17, and the fan favorite award every year from 2003-21.
asserted
He → win → 2003
Those came while earning prize money of nearly $130.6 million.
asserted
Those → come → million
Federer hits sometimes with his children — he and wife Mirka are parents of two sets of twins — and tries to attend a few events a year to keep him connected to the sport.
asserted
he → hit → sport
“I’m in a very comfortable place today, but I’m still happy to be out there and being in the tennis world from time to time, because it is the glue to everything that surrounds me still today,” Federer said.
asserted
Federer → ’m → me
“I had the best time, had a lot of friends on tour, from players to people who were organizers, et cetera.
asserted
who → have → cetera
So I hope that a lot of the players who retire also feel the same way about the game, because I care dearly.”
asserted
I → hope → game
The Aporia
