Wimbledon Wonder

Poornima Thakur
Jul 20, 2017 · 4 min read

35 years ago, in a small town in Switzerland, an extraordinary child was born. Passionate, sedulous, steadfast and calm. Winning the first ever Grand Slam in 2003 was only the beginning of his thriving career, what followed was a series of unimaginable success and stardom that would go on to leave a mark in the history of International Tennis.

ROGER FEDERER, the name that instills excitement, passion and appreciation. Eight times Wimbledon champion, winner of five Australian open titles, holder of a record five consecutive US open titles and One French open title, pretty much marks the spectacular career that Federer has earned for himself. Ranging from breath-taking serves to unpredictable shots, he has left little to our imagination. Not only has he dominated the game at its peak throughout his glorious career, he also has more Grand Slam titles, 19 to be precise, than any other men’s singles player. And these are just the big wins that we are talking about, don’t even get me started on the number of finals he has reached and other tournament matches he has won in order to proclaim himself as the pioneer of a sport that has more human investment than any other, at least in my opinion!

Sports requires relentless dedication from an individual. The kind of dedication that you, me or any average person cannot even contemplate. But Federer has always made this pressure, this struggle seem so easy! He is as calm as the tranquil waves of the summer sea and at the same time, as fierce as famished wolves. The technical nuances, the intricate details and the style that he brings to his game is something no other player can ever replicate. His way of dealing with pressure is unique and his style of playing is absolute. The reason I fell in love with this game is because of this one man. The epitome of sophistication and class, the master of his game, ladies and gentleman, this is what ROGER FEDERER is, to everyone across the world.

An ideal Sunday evening for me consists of Wine and Wimbledon and once every year I do manage to add the Wimbledon portion in my perfect Sunday equation. In the lustrous grass court of the centre court in London, players from different countries come to compete against each other to win the ULTIMATE title that any tennis player would want. Over the years, Federer has single-handedly proved himself the master of the grass court, however I wasn’t sure if this time he would do the same, considering the fact that it would make him the only player in the world to have won the maximum number of Wimbledon championships. Not as easy as it sounds. Enormous expectations from everyone around the world and the pressure to perform better only exacerbates the problem. With nervousness and fear, I started watching the finals, hoping that Federer does indeed make it.

If I had to summarize this match in one word — it would be “EASY”. For a champion like ROGER to play against an injured toddler like Cilic was a piece of cake. Not only did he devour the match in straight sets, he brutally vanquished Cilic and any hope of him winning the match. Cilic’s injury acted as a catalyst to the inevitable result of the match. I will admit though, I was quite saddened by the mere sight of Cilic in tears, wondering if it was right to hope that Federer wins, someone who has already achieved enough laurels and needs no more. Cilic, on the other hand, could use this victory and begin a journey that people can only dream about. But immediately after watching Federer take his position on court again, for the final set, my biased heart began hoping for his victory. By this point, it was clear anyway, that a champion cannot be defeated this easily and it would take a lot more than great tennis to defeat him. It would require EXTRAORDINARY tennis, which unfortunately was not exhibited by Cilic that day. The moment Federer dropped his Tennis racket and looked at his wife and kids with happiness, his happiness felt like my happiness. The tears of joy in his eyes were in my eyes too and I knew that he has worked so hard to be what he is today.

It is strange how a player from another country in the field of sports that our country doesn’t even follow that much, can have such a direct impact in your life. His struggle inspires me, his calm composure gives me patience, his technical excellence drives me and above all, his humility amazes me. My one and only dream ever is to sit right in the middle of the crowd at the centre court in London and watch this man exhibit some of the best tennis ever. I am not sure if that day will come any time soon, but I can assure you, my heart and my soul will always respect the legend that is ROGER FEDERER.

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Poornima Thakur
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