It is a rare occurrence when an athlete become an icon of their sport, but Roger Federer is one of the few that have achieved this.
Regarded as one of the most influential figures in the world of sport, the Swiss player is renowned for his consistency on the tour (between 2002-2015 he finished every season ranked in the world’s top six). Last month at the Australian Open he achieved the unthinkable by winning a record 18th major title in what was his first ATP tournament for six months due to injury.
The Melbourne showdown between Federer and his nemesis Rafael Nadal was one tournament organisers relished with record breaking-ratings. In America, ESPN got a 0.9 rating when the final was broadcast live at 3am, making it the most watched ESPN telecast for that time of day in the broadcaster’s history. Meanwhile 16m people across Europe turned in to watch the final on Eurosport in what is their best tennis audience to date.
The never-ending love for Federer by his fans is one inspires the sport, but how will it cope when the 35-year-old leaves the tour?
According to Federer, the future is an optimistic one. As the ATP heavily markets their ‘Next Generation’ campaign, which promotes and supports the rising stars of the men’s game, the world No.9 believes the sport is ‘bigger than any tennis player.’
“No, not really to be honest. I understand I have a role to play in the whole tennis world. But at the end of the day tennis is bigger than any tennis player,” Federer said during an interview with Sport 360.
“That’s why even if there is a new generation, new players, tennis will be fine. We have too many highlights during the year. There will always be a future No1, there will be new major champions, the wheel keeps turning.
“There will be some adjustment to be done if Rafa retires, or I retire, or Novak retires, or whoever any… Sampras and Agassi when they retired, it was different, they left a bit of a void. And that’s normal. But at the end of the day it’s also an opportunity for others.”
The prospect of life on the tour without Federer is not happening anytime soon. Recently the 35-year-old signed a contract with the Swiss Indoors to continue playing at the tournament until 2019.
Besides his confidence concerning the future of his sport, the world No.9 acknowledges that there are still more to be done. One of those include the problem of gambling and match-fixing, particularly around lower-level tournaments where a lot of players struggle financially. One of the most recent victims is Oliver Anderson, the 2015 Australian Open Boys’ champion who is currently suspended from the sport over match-fixing allegations.
“I think we’ve grown overall, if you think about the stadiums, the tournaments have gotten more and more professional. The Challengers are growing – I still think we could do more there,” the 18-time grand slam champion explained.
“We definitely need to clear issues such as the gambling issue. I think it’s real and there’s a report coming out in March now, which I’m interested to see what’s coming out there. But I think actually tennis overall is doing quite well.”
In five years time, it is likely that Federer will be watching the tour from the sidelines of the court rather than on it. When he retires, it will be the end of a legacy, but it will certainly not be the end of tennis. If Federer himself believes this, there is no reason why others can’t too.
The next leg of the Federer tour is Dubai where he will play in the upcoming Duty Free Tennis Championships, a tournament he has won on seven previous occasions. This year he is seeded third behind Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray.
My fans have always been a huge source of motivation, especially through tough times. Thanks so much for your support, #18 was for all of us https://t.co/iqbm9Am7db
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) 25 February 2017
