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Roger Federer maintains he can still win a calendar-year grand slam. Although Federer’s rivals weren’t exactly writing him off – not publicly, anyway – plenty of other people were, and he heard them.
So Federer delivered a response with his fifth consecutive US Open championship and his 13th career grand slam title, moving within one of Pete Sampras’ record of 14.
That response said he wasn’t done, he wasn’t going away and he wasn’t finished with winning.
That message was notably evident at Flushing Meadows in the one-sided victories over Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and Andy Murray in the final.
Then Federer went ahead and articulated it today when asked how long he could continue to win major tournaments.
“I have the belief right now that I can do it as long as I’m healthy, really. That’s the way I feel. I’m going to believe till the end of my tennis days that I probably can win a grand slam,” he told a small group of reporters at the Empire State Building.
“And if it’s not the case, or I don’t believe in it anymore, then I’ll probably retire.”
Here’s the really bad news for men with designs on winning grand slam titles: Federer is healthier than ever.
Not only is his bout with mononucleosis a distant memory, but his extra dedication to taking care of his body is paying dividends.
“What I’m striving for is longevity. … I feel so much better physically today than I ever have,” he said.
“I mean, like, maybe this year was difficult, but right now, the day after the US Open, I feel like, ‘My God, I’m fresh’.
“I don’t have these niggling injuries any more like I used to have when I was younger. I remember I had a sore arm every day when I was 20, 21. I had muscle pain all over my body after, like, a four-setter.”
He mentioned, as he has in the past, that he intends to compete at the 2012 London Olympics – tennis will be contested at his beloved All England Club – and beyond.
And why not?
He’s still only 27, and unlike US Open women’s champion Serena Williams, who doesn’t hide her interests in fashion and acting, Federer can be heard to say, “I live and breathe tennis,” as he did today.
“I feel, for a very long time, that I’ll always be able to win Wimbledon, always going to be able to win the US Open,” Federer said, his latest silver trophy beside him on a table.
“The first thing that’s probably going to go is the French Open, even though I think that should also not be a problem, you know – having a shot there – because I’m such a good allarounder and I’ve proven myself so much over the years there.”
Ah, the French Open.
It’s the one real gap on his resume, although he also listed leading Switzerland to a Davis Cup title and winning an Olympic gold medal in singles among his “many dreams” as yet unfulfilled.
Unlike Sampras, who only once made the semi-finals at Roland Garros, Federer reached the past three finals there, losing each time to four-time champion Rafael Nadal. Nadal, of course, also stopped Federer’s reign at Wimbledon and recently ended his four-and-a-half- year stay at No.1 in the rankings.
At least Federer can joke about his French Open history.
As he and Murray posed for post-match pictures on Monday, one with the champion’s prize and the other with his runner-up dish, first-time grand slam finalist Murray asked whether Federer gets to keep the trophy.
So Federer explained that the US Open replica trophy is the best of the lot because it’s the same size as the original. What they give you at Wimbledon is only 75 per cent as big as the real one, he pointed out, and the one at the Australian Open is quite small.
But, Federer recounted, smiling at his own punchline, “I told him, ‘I don’t know about the French Open.'”
Later, Murray said he believed Federer probably has at least four years left “right at the top.”
“It depends how much everybody else improves, I guess,” Murray said. “He’s still playing great tennis, but, I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he did overtake Sampras.”
If Federer wins the Australian Open for No.14, the pursuit of record-breaking No.15 would begin at the French Open, of all places.
But instead of looking ahead to that, let’s look back for a moment.
Until Monday, everyone seemed concerned about Federer. About his game, about his health, about his mental state.
Everyone, that is, save Federer himself.
“I never really had any moment where I was like, ‘Things are just not working out for me,”‘ he said, “because at the big tournaments, I actually did play very well.”
Indeed. He reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon.
And yet, Federer acknowledged today he did feel a need to win this particular US Open. Not because he harboured doubts about whether he could. But because, rather, he wondered whether he approached this trying year properly.
“Maybe I proved to myself that I was doing the right things, and that the season was difficult and tough for me and that I maybe did pick the right schedule,” he said.
“I have energy left at the end of the trip. I definitely came out here fresh. I’m still fresh today. I’m very happy with what my decision-making was.”
He also is pleased to be heading into 2009 on a positive note.
No more “What’s wrong with Roger?” questions.
“It’s the end of the year, it’s the last grand slam. He didn’t have a bad year, but for his standards, not as good as he would have liked,” Federer’s part-time coach, Jose Higueras, said outside the locker room after Monday’s champagne celebration.
“It’s a great thing going into next year. It gives him a lot of hope to get ready for next season, and I think it’s a great feeling for him.”
Might not the greatest feeling for the rest of the tour, though.
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