Roger Federer’s record of becoming the oldest World No. 1 in tennis history will never be broken, claims Christopher Clarey of the New York Times.
Federer dethroned arch-rival Rafael Nadal from the top of the men’s rankings on Monday after he won the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Sunday. The Swiss maestro defeated Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in the final in Rotterdam to capture his second successive title of 2018 and stretched his winning record to a perfect 12-0 for the season.
Federer, 36, surpassed Andre Agassi as the oldest No. 1 player in the world. The former American superstar was 33 years old when he held the top spot for the last time in his career in 2003. The 20-time Grand Slam champion also went past Agassi’s record for the longest period between stints at No. 1: over 5 years.
“It just shows if you have a staying power, and you have a pleasing style and you treat people right along the way, including the press, which I think is important, there’s a lot to be learned from his journey,” Clarey said on The Tennis Podcast.
“I’m not sure it can be replicated.
“I really don’t think we’ll see another No 1 aged 36 again on the ATP Tour.
“I honestly believe we won’t see that again.
“But the things he’s passed along are very instructive and the great thing is that there is a whole new wave of tennis players coming in and watching him do this and going ‘hmmm, maybe that’s a template to be followed’.”
Federer could be back in action next week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships as the top seed. A former seven-time champion in Dubai, where he has a base, Federer has traditionally participated in the tournament each season. However, things have changed quite a lot, especially after the 36-year-old from Basel triumphed in Rotterdam.
Federer would want to play in Dubai only if he would have recovered fully after his exploits in the Netherlands. Moreover, he could also consider resting his body because he would want to recharge his batteries for the defense of his two titles in Indian Wells and Miami, which will take place in March.