Wimbledon 2014: Roger Federer proves that a champion can never be written off

Roger Federer poses with the runner up trophy

Roger Federer- The Champion’s lesson

What do champions teach us? They teach us to keep on fighting and never give up till the last moment. They make us believe in ourselves. This year’s Wimbledon men’s singles final taught us the same thing. I am not talking about Novak Djokovic here. Instead, it was Roger Federer who stole hearts yet again with his never-say-die attitude. He may not have won the title, but he sure gave us a reason to celebrate with his splendid performance. He was a legend, he is a legend and will always be a legend in the world of tennis.

The match went on for nearly four hours. Both players were feeling the pressure, and it was Novak Djokovic who eventually prevailed. But he had to dig deep to overcome the ‘King of Grass’ Roger Federer, as the latter was in no mood to give it up this time.

Federer, it seemed, was playing this tournament as though he felt that he may not be able to play it again. Ever since the event reached its business end, he looked all geared up for the upcoming challenges. And boy, he did respond! Champions of the game like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Rafael Nadal, Lionel Messi and Roger Federer have one thing in common; they always have the eagerness to win no matter how difficult it gets.

In the Wimbledon final, he did all he could to bounce back into the match. After winning the first set, he lost his momentum midway and found himself two sets down. But he showed no signs of panic when he was trailing 2-5 in the fourth set. He went on to win five games on the trot to take the set 7-5. He showed his calibre, class and presence of mind in the most important points of the match.

Being a Nadal loyalist, I was heartbroken when he went out of the tournament in the fourth round. But since then, I supported Federer. And I must say I was shell-shocked to see him fight back so gloriously. I knew how important it was for him to win this Grand Slam. He showed how much effort he had put in to win it back one more time.

Missed chances

Many are saying this is the closest Federer will get to winning a Major before he draws curtains to his amazing career. But I still have a feeling that this guy has plenty more to offer before he calls it a day. Champions can never be underestimated and they should be never written off. The men’s final showed that resilience, sheer presence of mind, patience and focus can take you to the top, and these ingredients are necessary to remain on top.

Federer’s serve, volleys and backhand were on target for most part of the match, but one could feel that he was getting tired as the match progressed. He played fantastic tennis but couldn’t convert break point chances in the first three sets.

During the presentation ceremony, he looked composed as he received his runner-up trophy. And as he waited gracefully for Djokovic to finish his lap of honour, it reinforced his image as a top-class sportsman. He smacked 75 winners, committed only 29 unforced errors and finished with 29 aces. He fought with everything he had, as if his reputation was at stake.

It’s too early to write him off yet

When he was asked by the media that, perhaps, this might have been his last chance to win a Grand Slam, he bravely answered by saying, “There is no guarantee that you are ever going to be there again or not, or maybe there is much more to come. It is really impossible to answer that question.”

Federer may have not achieved his 18th major, but he did win the hearts of his fans who came to support him in big numbers. He played with a lot of grit and resilience. He showed the world that he is still capable of reaching the finals of big tournaments.

There is more to come from this guy. He knows how to play in important match situations and he will continue to fight back. So don’t make the mistake of forgetting Roger Federer because he won’t let that happen!