Roger Federer: Attaining Perfection

The Swiss superstar’s stylish success, incredible bandwidth and growing business acumen has seen him transcend the sport of tennis over the last 24 years

July 29, 2014. It was a typical English summer’s morning in southwest London. The world’s tennis players had just begun their quest for what is arguably the most prestigious title in the sport. The All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet club opens its gates to the public every day at 10am for a two-week celebration of tennis. Play on the outside courts (seating less than 100 fans each, with room for others to pass by) begins at 11am, whilst the show courts (seating over 10,000 spectators each) see marquee names begin play at 1pm. This Tuesday morning, however, a swarm of people were gathered around Court 15 as early as 10:30. Why? To catch a glimpse of Roger Federer warming up.

The Swiss was practicing with coach Stefan Edberg (a legend in his own right) before the opening round of his bid to win a record-breaking 8th Wimbledon title. Those who have followed him closely over the years will not be surprised by how laid back his practice sessions are- a foot fault here and a drive volley from the baseline there. Had it been anyone else, this would have been treated as a recreational hit about, yet the crowd gathered that morning at Wimbledon were glued to each and every crisply struck forehand and delicately timed backhand that the maestro, floating and smiling around the freshly cut grass, had to offer. A good 20 minutes later, he packed up, signed some autographs, took some photographs, and left. The assembled crowd returned to normal proceedings, but for those 20 minutes, Federer had brought Wimbledon to a halt- like he has done around the world a countless number of times for a countless number of years. This in itself is a testament to the legacy he will leave behind.

Roger Federer has done it all on the competitive court. He has won everything there is to win- 20 Grand Slam titles, 6 ATP World Tour Finals titles, 28 Masters 1000 titles, 310 weeks at world number 1 (237 of them consecutively), a Davis Cup title and an Olympic Gold Medal. He has beaten everyone there is to beat- Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and much of the ‘next gen’ that have been promoted through the 2010s. Whilst Nadal and Djokovic have since surpassed his numbers, the fact that Federer was able to reach the peak of the game across two generations- beating his idols and then those who idolised him, is unmatchable. Then there’s the way in which he played the game. Roger Federer didn’t play tennis, he performed it. He would regularly execute pinpoint serves where he would watch to see if his opponent moved a split second after his ball toss. He would rely on free-flowing forehands that let him access every part of the opponent’s court, no matter where he stood. He developed a backhand that he shaped up for like a ballerina and struck like a boxer. His crisp net game never let anything past him. Tying all these components together was his often-underrated footwork- fast, yet so efficient that he allowed himself enough time to unleash his full repertoire. His style of play turned inconsequential matches into memorable events. He brought to the sport eyeballs from around the world. Once an established figure, he even brought them to the practice court.

A large part of what Roger Federer will be remembered for is the way he conducted himself off the court. The centre court in Dubai for an ATP 500 event has a separate section for members of the crowd seated near where the players walk on and off the court. This is a great opportunity for fans to ask for autographs and take photos with the winner after the match. Towards the end of the match, the organizers allow children from outside this cordoned off area to come in and get a chance to get within touching distance of their favourite players. As one can imagine- this de-facto free for all leads to a barrage of pushing, shoving and other acts of desperation. In 2013, Federer came into the event as one of the favourites to win. A recurring back injury that he would only later detail, saw him fall to Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals. As he walked off the court, fans cheered at the top of their voices in the hope of getting a subdued wave or a reflective grimace. Much to their surprise, however, Federer stopped near the designated area and began to sign autographs as Berdych gave his post-match interview. The excitement from the crowd was probably more audible than Berdych on the TV broadcast. This is what set Federer apart. Win or lose he would always make time for his fans- signing autographs in the stadiums, greeting them outside hotels and attending countless sponsor organized interactions. Federer also gave the press unprecedented access throughout his career. He would give press conferences in many of the 5 languages that he speaks, regularly show up to studios for conversations with experts and often take the cameras behind the scenes at the tournament- showing them part of his routines. His engagement with the media made him one of the most visible athletes across any sport in an era that preceded the Netflix’s and Prime Videos of today. This played a huge role in bringing him closer to his fans and attracting others to the sport.

As fast as Roger Federer’s career progressed, so did his brand. His spotless public image saw him strike lucrative deals with Rolex, Nike, Mercedes Benz, Lindt, On Running and Uniqlo- just to name a few. Before most of these, however, in 2003 he launched the Roger Federer foundation with a mandate to promote educational and life opportunities for underprivileged children in Africa. In 2008, he released the RF logo- visible on all his Nike outfits and shoes. The mass distribution of the brand to the public gave fans the chance to not only watch him, but even feel like they can emulate him. In 2017, Federer’s recently formed sports management firm Team 8 created the Laver Cup. This 3-day tournament, similar to Golf’s Ryder Cup in pitching Europe against the Rest of the World, brings together the sport’s past and present across various roles. In fact, it is fitting that Federer has chosen this tournament to bid farewell as a player, knowing full well that he will remain engaged as an organizer and potentially a coach in the future. In 2019 Federer bought a stake in the Swiss running shoe firm- On. Collaborating with them for a couple of years now, he has released his own line of tennis and everyday shoes- further indication that he will continue to grow his brand well beyond his playing days. Overall Federer’s business ventures have earned him a whopping $90 million annually. In 2021 he became one of the very few athletes to reach $1 billion in net worth. All this whilst making sure he was always giving back to the people the supported him and doing his best to enhance the lives of all those within his reach.

Roger Federer’s career highlights that it’s one thing to achieve success on court, but a whole other ball game to be able to inspire others across all walks of life, instil certain values and enhance their lives wherever possible. There is a reason that his name is the first that pops up at any mention of the game of tennis. He might not go down as the most successful player of all time, but he will definitely be remembered as one of the most influential figures across sport. He’s shown the world what it truly means to be a well-rounded human being. And by all indications he looks like he will continue to do so post his playing days. Many say that perfection is impossible to attain, Roger Federer comes pretty close.