Mother of g.o.a.t.s

***on hiatus because i'm bored with the internet bye see ya so long*** //22 year old lady // Tennis // Federer. //TWITTER// sc_online_t(403148,"grand slam(s) waiting","#e7e7f0"); Free Tumblr Users Online Counter

[christophethefish]

Eighteen

I always believed he could win another grand slam. My family are huge Federer fans but I can’t count the number of times since 2013 when Federer’s made a run at Wimbledon and my family have told me not to get my hopes up, he’s too old to win again, he just can’t beat Djokovic or Nadal on the big stages anymore, maybe if it’s Murray he might have a chance.

I always argued against them, “You cannot and should not ever count Federer out until his last match is over”. They’d laugh, and then we’d sit down and watch Federer lose. They’d look at me in sympathy, as my former unwavering belief would temporarily shatter, and a small part of me would start to doubt.

Not doubt that he wouldn’t win one. But maybe if Djokovic, and Nadal and Murray could crash out of a tournament, maybe if he didn’t have to play someone with much experience, or maybe a top 20 player who was having an off day. He could do it then, I’d reassure myself. All I’d need was every other player to be a bit shit, then Federer could storm to victory again.

In those moments, I was an idiot. A stupid, dumb as fuck idiot. Because I started to find excuses for a player who doesn’t need them. When Federer is playing his best, he can beat anyone. He may be old, but he sure as fuck doesn’t need a walking stick to get him through the game.

Today, Roger Federer, 35 years-old, ranked #17 in the world, having just spent 6 months out of the game injured, won his 18th Grand Slam at the Australian Open. The best part? He didn’t need an asterix to do it, there will be no “Well he didn’t really have to beat anyone good”. He won it against his greatest rival, Rafael Nadal, in a five-set match. Nadal is the guy who makes my entire stomach sink to my feet as I recall all the heartwrenching times he pummelled Federer in five-set matches. But not today.

Today Roger Federer reminded me again that he is the greatest, my greatest, of all time. He is a legend who doesn’t need your excuses, who laughs at your doubts, who picks himself up after failure and tries again. Tries better. Fails again. Fails better. (shout out to Wawrinka).

Congratulations Federer. You thoroughly earned #18, and I couldn’t be more proud and privileged to watch you play and earn your place in history.

[christophethefish]

“If You Can Meet With Triumph and Disaster”

 Federer had lost. We were a sorry sight. My brother, my dad and me, all sitting on the sofa, wearing Federer t-shirts. Djokovic’s shot had just sailed into the open court past Federer, the Serb roared and leapt for joy, Federer walked slowly to the net to shake his opponent’s hand. It was over. Federer had lost. The optimism and hope we had been brimming with three hours earlier had slowly ebbed out of us over the match, to be replaced with an all-consuming emptiness. Federer had lost.

“The losses get easier.” That’s what we tell ourselves. “We’re here to watch Federer play, at this point in his career, it doesn’t matter if he’s winning or losing.” We’re supposed to meet with disaster now and treat it just as we treated triumph in the glorious, Federer-dominant years. We’re a spoilt bunch, us long-term Federer fans, and god knows we’ve got enough trophy memories to last us a life time. So now that disaster is becoming more frequent, we have to deal with it head on, just like Federer does, and swiftly pick ourselves up from it, just like Federer does.

But it scares me. Nowadays, disaster makes me sad, it makes me empty, it makes me frustrated. But mostly it scares me. Because Federer played one of the best matches I’ve ever seen him play against Andy Murray in the semi-finals. He was sublime, dominant, aggressive, ridiculous, spectacular……….he was perfect. It was truly an honour to watch that match. But two days later, he lost in the final. He didn’t win a grand slam, just two days after he looked primed to conquer Wimbledon once again. For the second year in a row, he lost to Djokovic in the final at Wimbledon, the one big tournament he has the best chance at of winning again.

And that’s what scares me. Federer continues to play tennis partly because he’s in love with everything about the game, but mostly because he still believes he has a real chance at winning any tournament he enters. He’s always said he’s not just there to make up the numbers. So as soon as he doesn’t believe in his ability anymore, that’s it. Over. No more Federer playing tennis.

So what happened on Sunday scares me. What if it puts doubts into his ever-optimistic head? What if it brings the inevitable even closer? What if, we no longer get to see matches like the Wimbledon semi-final, not because he’s not capable of them but because Federer isn’t playing any matches anymore?

Meeting with disaster sure is way harder than meeting with triumph, I’ll tell you that for free, Kipling.

But as always, Federer causes me tennis grief, then brings me a ray of hope. “I’m still very hungry and motivated to keep playing......I hope to see you here again”, were his words in his runner up speech (this guy is so much more casual about meeting with disaster than me). So just as Federer is putting that final to one side and moving on, I feel it gives me permission to put my fears to one side and focus on more positive visions of the future of Federer and tennis.

It would be an absolute privilege to see you back in the Wimbledon final again next year, Roger Federer.

[federerblog]

Happy 36th Birthday Mirka Federer! 

“The first time I met her I was nobody, I hadn’t won any important tournament and now I have 76 titles, so much has happened. She follows me everywhere, her presence is fundamental, she likes to watch me play. If Mirka didn’t follow me on tour I would have retired already." - Roger Federer [x]

[federerblog]

[venus117-deactivated20180527]

Li Na and Serena

[casualvolley]

DelPo’s out of surgery.

[heneverold-deactivated20180123]

[groundstrokes]

[norinchi]

[fycarowozniacki]

[federerblog]

Kei Nishikori defeats Roger Federer 3-6 7-5 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open

[delicatelyfearless]

[christophethefish]

You used to love Fedal so much omg what happened

well actually i didn't

like i actually couldn't stand nadal for a really fucking long time

then i joined tumblr the year that djokovic became The Enemy and it totally fucked up my brain

and i was all 'zomg maybe???? fedal???? like this could be a thing that i'm into????'

and then about five months later my brain woke the fuck up from whatever goddamm shitty coma it had been stewing it's ass in and was like 'lol dude no /remember/' and here i am

[baby-fish-mouth-deactivated2017]

too many dudes. i’m so sick of dudes. every time i see something with a dude in it i’m like ‘fuck you, i don’t want to watch this.’

my glorious roommate, as she spreads peanut butter on a saltine (via firelord-rafa)

[delicatelyfearless]

[yellowxperil-deactivated2026012]

welp, i know how i’m spending my sunday

[federerblog]

Roger Federer defeats Thiemo De Bakker 6-3 6-3 in the 3rd Round of the Sony Ericsson Open