Time stands still for no person and Federer is no different. We as individuals are a product of our time, which leads to why GOAT debates are irrelevant pissing contests. These have an inevitability of my grandad is bigger than your grandad. Tennis has changed so much it's not funny, not just the equipment, the sports science is a lot better and the surface homogenisation which has impacted on the game to the point of devaluing certain achievements.
There was a time when a career Grand Slam was rare. The grass was so fast and low bouncing, then the different hardcourts and the clay challenges. Federer in 2012 himself said "Anyway, every surface is very similar today, otherwise we couldn't have achieved all these things on all these different surfaces so quickly, like him and myself". He was referring to Nadal there and this definitely includes Djokovic as well. The biggest challenge these days is the movement, not having to adapt their games which leads back to the product of their time.
One of the understated reasons for Federer's appeal was that he started as the talented prodigy in 1998 where he was playing a very attacking game, serve and volley, and being aggressive. At the time tennis on fast surfaces was almost unwatchable, just servefests and the authorities decided to slow down the faster surfaces and use a lighter ball on clay. It made tennis more predictable and took away a lot of the different adaptable skills required to the one size fits all approach.
Early Days
Federer was definitely a prodigy and you could see the ability there, but the question was whether he could harness it and the volatile temperament which would surface now and then as a pro. After the death of his first coach Peter Carter in a car accident, the next appointment was Swede Peter Lundgren which was perfect for Federer at that stage.
Lundgren was a very talented player who enjoyed the nightlife in the playing days, but is an outstanding coach. He took the very gifted Marcelo Rios to the top 10, while Federer and Rios were amazing talents temperamentally they could not be any different. Lundgren allowed Federer to develop his game to the changing environment and did not restrain the creativity. It was like the cool older brother and definitely the right fit for Federer.
The Marseille 2000 final was an all Swiss final with Geneva's finest Marc Rosset and Federer. Rogi after he lost the final was in tears. 'It wasn't a pleasant feeling', Rosset recognised. 'I was sad when I beat him in Marseille. I lifted my arms up on the sky after the win but then I looked on the other side of the net and I got heartbroken because I saw he was crying.
It seemed like the end of the world for him. I tried to calm him down telling him that he would have played other finals, but at the same time I understood his reaction because it was his first ATP Final.' Asked if he expected Federer to win so much during his career, Rosset replied: 'Nope. Did I think Federer would be a fantastic player, definitely. Like Rosset, I did not expect him to win that much.
In 2003 it started to come together with his first Wimbledon title and the Masters at the end of the year. The new chapter began when Federer and Lundgren had split out of nowhere, there are some interesting theories around this. Lundgren had given him the tools to succeed and his job was done. Federer went coachless for a few years, many thought he wouldn't be able to succeed without a coach but that was blown out of the water with those dominant years.
New Challenges
Nadal came along and was able to break down the Federer backhand with his huge and heavy forehand. This presented another challenge for Federer, then a skinny Serbian kid with a lot of ambition and very humourous Scottish lad with big hair. Was it the Big 4 or Fab 4, who knows? Two very important things they all offered different challenges to Federer who was forced to improve because of the other 3 and vice versa taking the game the next level.
Lucky tennis isn't ski jumping as Federer would have won the most style points and the aesthetics with the throwback to a bygone area of tennis was a definite appeal. Federer is one of those athletes who bought people into tennis, the casuals know the name and tickets to his matches were always the hottest around.
When I saw the young lad with the Samurai ponytail did I ever think he would be one of the greatest players ever, absolutely not. Is he the GOAT who knows and who cares. The fact it was a privilege to watch the uber talented young hothead with the aggressive game and his career evolution whose legacy will live on in the tennis world for multiple generations.
