Seventeen majors is a big deal. 300 weeks at number one is a big deal. Winning all four slams, the Davis Cup, and an Olympic Gold (in doubles) is pretty much all you can do. But it’s not quite everything.
Roger Federer had the ‘GOAT’ tag all sealed up in his heyday. Rafael Nadal was a blip, Novak Djokovic was still a joke – more famous for retiring and impersonating his victors than winning slams – and Pete Sampras had his records ripped apart before they could gather dust.
Tennis is a funny old game; played between lines, between two players, between the ears.
That last part is fascinating. Federer once stated that he had “created a monster” following a loss to Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2008. A monster of expectation, of pressure.
Every time he stepped on a tennis court, he was an overwhelming favourite, with the exception of Nadal on clay. Even still, the young Spaniard played himself as the underdog to the press – and played as the underdog anyway – his youth seeing him scurry past Federer time and again.
Mental scars can’t heal without a remedy; usually, winning. But that’s easier said than done against fellow titans of the game like Djokovic and Nadal.
But there is another way; an almost counterintuitive tactic that works in many skill sports: not giving a shit.
Nick Kyrgios is a master at it. I doubt he has ever let nerves get the better of him, and what an amazing big-match player he is. He has beaten Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic on his maiden attempt with each of them. His weakness is probably not caring enough.
Following knee surgery and six months out of the game, Federer came to Australia as a 35-year-old legend, but not really a serious contender, having failed to play any lead-in tournaments. He hadn’t won a slam in nearly five years, despite numerous finals. He was meant to be a quarter-final attraction, praised for his effortless style and grace, and his brilliant achievements for still going relatively deep in slams.
How powerful not giving a shit can be.
Following wins over Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka, Federer emphasised that he was telling himself to enjoy it – the comeback had already been a success, making the quarter-finals. Relax, man. What a dangerous potion talent and a lack of care can be.
What we witnessed in Australia was enlightenment; a freeing of the shackles, the death of a monster. Federer played with nothing to lose for the first time in decades. For much of his career he played knowing he wouldn’t lose, but once you’re fallible, once you feel mortal, pressure is a hell of an opponent.
His crushing victory over Nadal this week was a glimpse into a rare kind of Federer; experience coupled with the fearlessness associated with youth. A man, finally, completely content with his career, at peace with his place in the game. Perched alone on top.
Tomorrow’s match against Kyrgios will be a match of obscene talent, but little pressure. Both men will play freely for different reasons; one man’s legacy is cemented, the other couldn’t give a rat’s. And that’s what makes them both great to watch.
Federer is at his most dangerous, half-a-step slower, but mentally as free as he has ever been. This match could be an appetiser for a possible Wimbledon or US Open showdown later this year, one that decides majors, that adds to legacies.
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