Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer - an iconic partnership

Roger Federer (L) with coach and tennis legend Stefan Edberg

A need for change

Ever since Roger Federer and Stefan Edberg came together in early 2014, we have been witnessing a slow but steady and evident change in the style of play by Roger Federer. Perhaps it was the need of the hour. Power tennis was taking away the game to different dimensions which many purists may not have been fond of.

Federer had to change his game too.

The style, substance, finesse and elegance that saw him amass 17 majors across a decade of stiff competition across all surfaces had to be tuned differently to tackle the change.

It is possible that this need for variation prompted the appointment of Stefan Edberg.

An idol as a coach

The 80s were a time when Stefan Edberg graced tennis competitions all over the world with his deft volleys and magical movements. He is arguably the greatest ever serve-volley player to have played the game. It is a genre of tennis that has slowly disappeared from modern day tennis - the last out and out serve-volley player who comes to mind is Australian tennis player Patrick Rafter.

Edberg’s game was characterized by smooth service followed by a net approach to display his best shot – volleys were a common sight. He hit single-handed backhand winners from almost any angle in the court. One weakness was his forehand which, though consistent, was not lethal. Edberg’s serve was heavily dependent on spin, and the serving process tailor-made for his surge towards the net. For those who may not know, the logo of the Australian Open displays Stefan Edberg’s elegant serve.

Already in his early 30s, Federer was aware of exactly how futile it could be to work on long baseline rallies or power-packed shots from the baseline to incorporate changes into his game- this was not at all his natural style. Tennis lovers all over the world should be thankful that he did not move that way. His current style is a fusion of his already flawless game with a more frequent net game and approach tactics

It is at this point that Paul Annacone made way for Stefan Edberg in a surprise decision in December 2013. Many wondered if the arrival of Stefan Edberg can bring a significant change in Roger’s performance which was by then on a steady decline after his 2012 Wimbledon triumph. An entire generation grew up watching and relishing the great Becker-Edberg rivalry in the ‘80s and early 90s. This made the Edberg-Federer association all the more fascinating because by then, Novak Djokovic had already signed up Boris Becker.

Results to show

The rest, as they say, is history. Things changed drastically for Federer in 2014 after a dismal 2013 season. The 90 square inch racquet frame made way to 95 square inches. Add to that certain subtle changes and frequent approaches. Edberg incorporated his experience and technic into Federer’s approach and the player found immense success.

The result of the partnership - a total of 11 finals, the most since his 2007 season. Among these was the Wimbledon final which he lost to Djokovic, his first major final since he won Wimbledon in 2012. Followed by his win in Shanghai, Federer returned to his World No. 2 ranking for the first time since May 2013. He was also able to tick off one significant milestone – his Davis Cup win for Switzerland, the first for him and his country. Federer ended the year at No. 2 with 5 titles.

Prospects at Wimbledon 2015

The 2015 season too has not been too bad for Federer in terms of title wins (4 titles from 6 finals), but a 3^rd round loss at the Australian Open and a quarterfinal loss at Roland Garros is not what many expected from Federer.

His immediate reply after the French Open loss was that “it is never too early because the next few weeks is important for Wimbledon preparation.” It must be noted that Federer, training under Edberg, has not won a major tournament despite his significant success over the previous two years.

It has been three years since Federer won his last Grand slam title. However, the fact that he reached a Wimbledon final last to lose out only after a well fought 5 sets was proof enough that his grass court prowess was still intact.

His opportunities to add another Grand Slam title keep diminishing as years pass by. How much longer he intends to play remains a mystery to tennis followers all over the world. This year's Wimbledon,therefore, is especially significant as far as Roger’s illustrious career is concerned.

Who else other than his idol Stefan Edberg himself, who has won 2 Wimbledon title out of 3 consecutive final appearances at SW19 can guide Federer towards an unprecedented 18th Grand slam title which by all means will cement the success of the Fedberg partnership. Can they pull it off? With a bit of good fortune going their way, perhaps they can.