Roger Federer and longevity - a marriage made in heaven

Over the last five years, the retirement of Roger Federer has been a huge subject of gossip for tennis fans around the world. In fact, the last time Federer was asked this question was just last month, and this is what he had to say:

“At this moment I see no reason to stop. I think in 2009 I questioned it for the first time. "(It's been) 10 years and here I am. I'm exactly where I wanted to be at this age.”

This is coming from a man who has completed over 20 years at the professional level. This is coming from a man who has won every single accolade that the game has to offer. You can't help but ask yourself the question: what is it that drives these champions? What goes on in the seemingly inaccessible minds of theirs that they are always motivated to do the same stuff over and over again?

Federer hardly gives the impression that he is ageing. The racquet appears to be a mere extension of his limbs, and he still goes after the ball with the same enthusiasm that a child would show if provided with its favorite toy. No man has made tennis appear so simple and artistically relevant like the Swiss Maestro.

To understand the seemingly unfathomable minds of these prodigiously gifted players, let us turn to a particular statement from Sachin Tendulkar, considered by many as the greatest batsman in the history of cricket.

“Cricket is like oxygen to me," Tendulkar had once said.

For athletes like Tendulkar and Federer, the sport is much more than just an option of livelihood. It is what drives them every morning when they get up, it is what transfers them to a state where they lose themselves. It is almost like a state of nirvana, where they find ultimate peace.

Beyond the numbers, beyond the Grand Slam titles, there is some dimension that these men touch which drives them to go out and give their best every single day.

Federer has already revealed his plans about playing till at least the end of 2020. He will be 39 next August, an age where it is almost inconceivable for us to imagine a man playing top flight tennis, in an era where burnout is common. But Federer has defied traditional notions of age and has reduced the passage of time to a blip.

He still has the fire to go out and give his best, and to push himself every day. So instead of complaining about his impending retirement, let us bask in the glory of a man who has illuminated our lives with a magic wand that people call a tennis racquet.

Roger Federer and longevity go hand in hand. It's time we stopped pretending otherwise.