Monday, February 26, 2018

Why is Roger Federer so loved?


In the last weeks Roger Federer has not only defended his Australian Open title, getting to 20 majors, but has also returned to #1 in the world.  There surely must have been a million articles already written on these amazing feats so why should I bother to write another one?  That's why I thought I would come from another angle - reiterating some of the qualities that make this man so very special.  So here are some in no special order.  We already know them, but sometimes it's fun to be reminded.



- He doesn't think of himself as anything too special - he's just a normal guy growing up in a normal family, normal town, normal country.

- Even though he doesn't think of himself as too special, he treats everyone else as if they are, whether an average fan (like when I got my picture taken with him in an area where I wasn't even supposed to ask him, yet he still wanted to check to make sure the pictures had turned out), someone in the media, or other players, whatever their rank.

- He is loved by other players so much that he continues to win the Sportsmanship award year after year after year, both by the way he acts on court and also off court, with great respect towards everyone.  I have heard multiple stories of him reaching out to players who are injured, encouraging someone after a bad loss, or just remembering details about their lives.

- He not only gives press conferences in multiple languages in spite of how busy he is, but he takes time to give thoughtful responses and explanations, in spite of being asked the same questions over and over again.

- He obviously loves his wife and children so much and puts them first.  He has said multiple times that if Mirka didn't want him to keep playing he would stop right away (thankfully for us she loves it as much as we do, always cheering for him and taking picture after picture).  And his kids are the pride of his life.  I remember him saying when his boys were quite young that he couldn't stop kissing them. So sweet!



- He gives much credit to his parents for who he is and for all that he has been able to accomplish.  They often travel with him and have much to do with running the Roger Federer Foundation.  Having spent some time with them myself, they are wonderful people, very down to earth.

- He is concerned for those living in poverty, giving his own funds plus time out of his schedule for charity matches to raise money for his foundation, which provides education for impoverished children in Africa and Switzerland.  He has also taken several trips to Africa himself to see how the funds are being used.

- He's not afraid to let the world see his emotions.  While some might look at this as a weakness, to me this shows how much it all means to him, in spite of all that he has accomplished.  I find it beautiful.



- The reason he keeps playing, in spite of all the records he holds, money he's made, etc., is his genuine love of the game, which shows in everything he does.  Being a lover of tennis myself, it makes me happy to see how much he loves it.

- He has a great sense of humor and isn't afraid to be silly.  From bongo drums to dancing with Mickey to making jokes with Jim Courier, his joy for life just comes through.  Many of the players comment on what a funny guy he is.



- All of this and we haven't even talked about his beautiful tennis, gliding around the court like a ballet dancer, coming up with shots still after all these years that no one has ever seen before, that makes those who have seen it all still gasp in appreciation.



I'm sure there is much more I could have written - this is basically just off the top of my head.  He is so loved around the world for so many reasons and I wanted to give appreciation in writing while we wait for his next appearances.