Roger Federer, salve for the soul

My love with the game that starts with a score of love-all began at an age when most amateur players shift to doubles from singles. Having started playing golf in my late 20s, I moved to tennis in my mid-30s — a bit unusual because, with advancing age, people generally shift from a physically demanding sport such as tennis to the relatively leisurely golf.

I spent more and more hours watching Grand Slam tournaments and Davis Cup on TV. Whether it was the young Boris Becker diving full-length to clinch a seemingly impossible winner, or Pete Sampras getting himself out of trouble with his booming serve, I started appreciating the finer aspects of the game.

Then came the trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — they quickly made me forget Becker and Sampras. Their amazing game turned tennis into a lifelong passion for me.

Though these three greats have their own distinct styles, I found Federer the most enchanting. The more I watched tennis, the more I could appreciate the finesse and subtlety Federer brings to the court. Tennis does not appear to be such a physically demanding game when Federer plays — while others seem to be making a huge physical effort in frantically running around to chase the ball and hit it hard, Federer appears to be coolly caressing the ball.

In anticipation, deception and accuracy, Federer is a class apart. Earlier, I saw tennis as a game of monotonous, mechanical rallies that went on till one of the players made a mistake. Having seen Federer play — and having tried to replicate his methods, albeit poorly, wherever I played the game during my various government postings across India — I had a real appreciation of his genius.

Playing tennis has helped me manage my diabetes with minimal medication even in my late 50s. For the medication of the soul, though, Federer is my prescription. When he’s in rhythm, his poise, balance and footwork are as delicate and graceful as that of an accomplished ballerina. There is no doubt that age is catching up with him but even today, at nearly 40, his shot-making abilities remain magical. We saw some glimpses of these at Wimbledon.

Can he win another Grand Slam to add to the 20 titles he has? It’s going to be an uphill task, especially with Djokovic playing the way he is. But if Federer — a man who turns 40 in August, and who has had two knee operations in 2020, can court success, nothing like it.

As an ardent fan of tennis and a player of modest abilities, I hope he wins more titles before he hangs up his boots. That would reinforce the fact that limitations imposed on the human body and mind are elastic — and it would inspire future generations, as also those like me who are getting on in life.