US Open 2018: 3 things we learned from Roger Federer’s defeat to John Millman

#2 Federer can still never be counted out

The Australian Open win was just around seven months ago!

Federer’s continued lapses quite obviously take us back to his annus horribilis. In 2013, he slumped to 17 losses against just 45 wins. A back issue flared up, making his life difficult on the Tour. While many obituaries were written for the Swiss then, he made a mockery of them all when he made it to the Wimbledon final the very next year and took Novak Djokovic to five sets.

Federer silenced all his detractors when he made a grand comeback from surgery in 2017 to add three more Major titles to his already swelling trophy cabinet.

The fact that five years have progressed since 2013 cannot be denied. 37 is traditionally not the age for playing immaculate tennis at the highest level with a bubbly new generation coming up.

But then, players like Federer and Serena Williams have aged like fine wine. They have excelled when people have expected them to pack up and hang up their racquets.

Federer’s recurring losses might be a worrying sign for his fans, but as long as the maestro himself has the passion burning within him, it cannot be that bad. At 37, he is still incredibly ranked No. 2 in the world and is the holder of a Slam title.

Federer has always been an expert at finding out solutions to problems that have been plaguing him, as evidenced by his choice of a larger racquet and his tweaking of his backhand. If his biggest rivals somehow slip and he can keep his act together for a fortnight, then Federer might just once again etch his name on yet another Major trophy.

After all, the 2018 Australian Open was only around seven months ago!