Skip to main content

The Living Legend

Roger Federer is my hero. There is no other player (except Sachin Tendulkar) who commands more respect from me. And that comes not just from the fact that he is a legendary tennis player.

In a cricket obsessed nation, ours was a home of tennis lovers, thanks to dad. Every Federer match was an event not be missed. He was an artist in action. Absolutely class apart. The effortless ease with which he hit his shots, the graceful singlehanded backhands, his poise, his elegance. Even when two sets down, he looked unperturbed.  He knew he could clinch it. And that's what made him special. His confidence and self - belief.

He is not beefed up or super strong physically. But it's his mind that defines him. The sheer brilliance of his game - so intelligent - and superior mental strength. That's what won matches for him. That took him to beat and create tennis records, going down in history as the biggest tennis legend so far.

And that's the one thing that has changed in the last couple of years. Maybe his focus is now more on family, or he has let his critics make him believe that he is too old to play now. Whatever the case may be, I don't see that poise anymore. He gives up at some point. He thinks he will lose. And he does. That's unfortunate. Because he is still Federer, and he still has all it takes to clinch those titles. I just get so heartbroken. I still can't bring myself to see him lose to Djokovic (especially to Djokovic) or to Wawrinka. Sigh. I still hope that his inner strength will rise, and he will be number one again. That he will keep playing and entertaining us with such stylish tennis, an art that is all but lost these days.

And that's not where it ends. I respect him deeply for one more thing. Despite his blue-blooded looks and his legendary status, he has never been involved in a controversy. He has stayed true to his wife Mirka for fourteen long years, since they started dating, and I hope they will be together forever. Deep respect. He makes my belief stronger that true manhood is not about how many 'birds' you can catch, but despite having the ability to do so, choosing to be with your queen forever.

It's difficult not to be in awe of a person who stands for everything legendary. Like Sheldon Cooper says,  'minstrels will write songs about him'. And no matter who is reigning, for me, this era of tennis will always be defined by Roger Federer.

Roger Federer - my hero.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A few good men

I am, and always will be a staunch feminist. But I am also traditional in many ways, rooted and God fearing. And as I grow older, I see the lines between the binary blurring, with many more shades of grey than just fifty. It is difficult being a woman in India, but it is not easy being a man either. And while feminism is a great ideal to pursue, we must not forget to acknowledge the good men who stand by us, and help us in our fight for gender equality. I have, for long, been itching to write my views on feminism, but given that there are so many written already about it, I feel this is something that takes precedence over it. We feminists don't acknowledge our men enough. And that is not nice of us. It doesn't do us much good. I was raised by two very educated parents who were working full-time. We always had the luxury of a cook and a cleaner at home. My mother, though a good cook, was not expected to spend long hours in the kitchen. If the cook was on leave, everyone pi

Oh the things we do on Facebook!

Are you one of those people who pick up their phones first thing in the morning? It goes everywhere you go, and it has everything you love. Life suddenly becomes meaningless if it were to hang or, God forbid, if the Internet would stop working! You, my friend, are not alone. Welcome to the smartphone age - where phones are getting smarter while people are getting dumber! Chances are, you also have at least one or more chatting and social media apps installed, that keep you hooked. I recently deleted the Facebook app from my phone, lest it become an addiction. It doesn't stop me from logging in every few hours, but at least I'm not jumping in at every notification. I don't claim to be an expert, but there are a few things I have noticed about all that happens on Facebook and other social media sites. Here's a list of points that may come across as relevant to you while you're on social media. Most of you pros will already know them, and as always, this is an extr

Confessions of a 'Fat' girl

It was the third day of college. The ragging sessions were in full swing. Ragging in our college was mostly a fun affair, and a wonderful ice-breaking experience for me. All kinds of silly pranks were being played. During one such session, one of my seniors asked me to go and propose to her male friend sitting some distance away. Unwillingly, I went up to the guy pretending to hold a flower and blurted an 'I love you'. In return, this guy shouted back, 'Arre yaar kisse bhej diya? Size dekh kar toh bhejna tha!' I was mortified, angry and heartbroken. In that moment, it didn't matter if I scored above 90% in CBSE exams. It didn't matter that I was multi-talented. It didn't matter that I was kind and generous. All that mattered was that I was fat... Hello adult life - you sure are harsh! Now let me clarify. I've been chubby since the time I turned a year old, give or take a few months. Partly genetics and partly an insatiable sweet tooth. Add to it the