Federer and Williams lead the sport as all time greats
The legends retire with a combined 43 grand slam titles. PHOTO CREDIT: theguardian.com
We’ve been so spoiled for decades getting to see historic and record setting stars grace our screens. I realized on Sept. 23, after they finished their final tournaments, that I’ve never lived in a world without Roger Federer or Serena Williams playing tennis.
For both to retire less than a month apart feels painful, like our tennis childhood is over, but what a glorious ending it was.
Federer’s achievements include 20 major titles, over 1,500 matches played, an Olympic gold medal, and a Davis Cup title. Williams retires with 23 grand slam titles, 1,014 matches played, and 4 Olympic gold medals.
They have inspired countless children all over the world to pick up a racquet and strive to be legends. Nowadays, many of these “children” are now athletes who are watched on ATP and Women’s Tennis Association tours. You may know them as men’s world #1 Carlos Alcaraz, #3 Casper Ruud and #6 Stefanos Tsitsipas. For the women, three time major winner and current world #1 Iga Swiatek, #8 Coco Gauff and #38 Leylah Fernandez. The list goes on. Now, how’s that for a legacy?
They were our “friends” who came into our homes every year around the new year for the Australian Open, Spring Break for the French Open, start of summer for Wimbledon, the last vacation before school for the US Open and every four years for the Summer Olympics.
We know in our hearts that Federer and Williams have much more ahead of them, but if we had our way, these two would play forever and continue their spectacular runs of success. The fact that Federer and Williams retired without titles in hand feels somehow unfair to us. Watching Federer say goodbye for the last time knowing he won’t add to his record-setting eight Wimbledon titles and watching Williams go down in the third round at the US Open feels like salt in an open wound, even though they don’t need to prove anything to us or themselves.
Mario Llano is the owner of R.I. Tennis Academy and is considered one of the top tennis coaches in New England, having instructed a multitude of state champions, United States Tennis Association champions, college players and even professional tennis player Jared Donaldson. Llano felt the two athletes changed the complexion of the sport forever.
“I would call Serena and Roger artists that break the mold for what’s normal,” Llano said. “Serena and Roger taught us to think outside normal, taught us to see that when we think it’s over it really isn’t. There is always more, giving up is not an option. Through all of that, whether we fail or succeed, we can do all of it with dignity and class.”
Few moments in sports fill spectators with such grateful reflection and regret at the same time as Federer and Williams final tennis matches. Even Rafael Nadal felt it as he tried to hold back the tears, something he rarely does. Watching Federer and Nadal play doubles for the final time together felt like the perfect ending to this competitive fairytale.
The same goes for seeing the Williams sisters play doubles one final time at the 2022 US Open. I was lucky enough to be there while Williams’ final match was happening and all I can say is the atmosphere was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. You could hear the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium from where I sat at Louis Armstrong Stadium watching Nick Kyrgios and J.J. Wolf. They stopped play to put Williams’ final point on the jumbo-tron, and as everyone stood up and applauded, many even cried.
When it comes to Federer, I think Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez said it best in The Sandlot: “Some people say he was more than a man, but less than a god.”
Roger Federer’s whole career feels like Secretariat’s memorable race at the Belmont Stakes. With a game often described as watching a ballet dancer, he made the legendary look effortless. He invented the “tweener” shot and perfected it to the point that practically every player attempts it in any given tournament. Just an incredibly pure journey we were lucky enough to see.
Williams, on the other hand, encouraged girls and women to be tenacious, athletic and to love our bodies in the process. To stand tall in the face of criticism and to always persevere.
Federer’s manners are from another time, Williams’s aggression refreshing – their grace and class are a lesson to everyone, and the love they both share for the game of tennis is eternal. They were custom made to play tennis.