At 35, Roger Federer is still defying his age
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Tommy Haas vividly recalls the first time he saw a teenager named Roger Federer swing a racket.
The two stepped onto the court together in the semifinals of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. And even in a straight-sets loss, Federer, just 19, left Haas with the impression that he would become one of the best players in the world in time.
That time actually came quicker than Haas had expected. Federer beat Haas later that year in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland, then played Haas in a tough five sets a year later at the Australian Open when Haas was ranked No. 9 in the world.
“You see players that are very talented that have the ability to maybe do something great,” said Haas, who has had a close friendship with Federer over the years. “You can kind of see it when you watch them play, how they act, how they play at certain levels of the match when it really counts, how they play big points, how they conduct themselves, who they surround themselves with, who is on their team.
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“You saw that with Roger,” Haas said.
In 2003, just shy of his 22nd birthday, Federer won Wimbledon for the first of five consecutive times. By his 25th birthday, he had won eight Grand Slam titles. He was, as Haas put it, “defying his age.”
A decade later, Federer still is doing it. He won his 18th major in Melbourne in January at age 35.
He became the oldest man to win a major since Ken Rosewall won the 1972 Australian Open at 37. Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors and Rod Laver won their final Grand Slams at 31. Andre Agassi at 32.
“He showed the world why he is the best,” said 33rd-ranked Mischa Zverev, who lost to Federer in the Australian Open quarterfinals. “His tennis, to me, is timeless.”
For some time it appeared that the sun was setting on Federer’s illustrious career. Before this year, he won his last major at age 30, in 2012. It appeared his record of 17 Grand Slam victories would hold on the men’s side.
But no one is counting him out for more this year.
And he entered his first match Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open here with all eyes on him, watching to see if he can win his fifth title here with carryover momentum from earlier this year. So far, he has not disappointed, and he plays 24th-ranked Steve Johnson, 27, of Redondo Beach, Calif., in the Indian Wells Masters at 6:15 p.m. ET Tuesday.
"It seems it's still a topic, which is great because I still feels like it was yesterday," Federer said of his win in Australia. "I still feel like I'm on cloud nine."
How he's done it
Federer’s resurgence doesn’t appear to be a fluke. With Novak Djokovic, who held the No. 1 or 2 spots in the rankings for each of the past six years, playing less than we’re accustomed to seeing, no longer are events dominated by a player in the midst of a historical run. They’re open for the taking.
That Federer is still in the mix at his age and so quickly after taking much of last season off to rest and rehab after minor knee and back injuries, says a lot about the methods he’s used to maintain such longevity throughout his career.
At the 2000 Games in Australia, Federer met his wife, Mirka Vavrinec, a Swiss player. Mirka retired from a professional career two years later, and has been an instrumental part of Federer’s rise in professional tennis.
“When you’re living a crazy life as an 18-, 19-, 20-year-old, traveling around the world, trying to win these big tournaments, playing on these big stages and on television, and going after your goals, life can be tricky at times," Haas said. "You need to keep your personal life at bay most of the time and under control.
“Because of Mirka, he’s had a great balance there. You can’t say that about many other players at that young age.”
Added Federer: "We know what we have to do as a family to make it work."
Once Federer won Wimbledon for the first time, the monkey was off his back. He had won the Grand Slam many expected of him, his personal life was in order, he was getting better, and he was still a young man in the game.
“And he just kind of went on a different planet for a while playing the sport of tennis,” Haas said. “He put everything together. So all the little things that matter and make such a big difference were in place for him.”
One of the differences with Federer and nearly every other player on tour is that he plays for the big tournaments, not the ranking points, some have said. So, instead of playing every tournament he can, for years he has liked to pick and choose where he plays to keep off the mileage on his legs, rest his body and give him a better home-career balance.
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But that doesn't mean he isn't training year-round.
"It's so important to train, and in tennis it's all the time," Federer said. "Every day there's something to be done.
"You feel it's hard to sit out and not play for six weeks, and there's like 10 new tour winners and you say, 'Ah I could've been one of them.' But it you look at the big picture, you have to step away to come back strong.
"And I always did that throughout my career. Maybe not six months, but I did it probably two to three times a year, where I kind of stepped away and came back and it's served me well. And I think that's why I'm still here today."
When Federer isn’t playing certain events, Haas said his rival and friend is working out to maintain a high level of conditioning, and adding different elements into his game, such as the popular dropshot that has become a vital part of his game in his 30s.
“Again, planning the strategy of that — really, really well done,” Haas said. “That’s why I think he was still able to play some amazing tennis in his early 30s, and now with his first real injury and a small, minor surgery last year, and making the decision to get strong, get fit, let the injury heal up a little more in order to play another year or two at a very high level, was a very smart decision.”
Federer began practicing during a six-month layoff in mid-November and trained for six weeks before heading to Australia not sure what to expect. He later said he would have been happy with reaching the fourth round. He said reaching the quarterfinals "would be incredible."
He had no pressure to get back more quickly because the season was coming to an end and he wanted to be prepared to make a run at another major in Melbourne.
"The thing is had to take that time off," Federer said. "It was not like I took six months because I felt like it was the right thing to do before the Australian Open. I actually had to take the time off. My knee wasn't well throughout the entire grass court season. The clay court season was bad, too."
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When he did make it back, he surprised even himself, defeating longtime rival Rafael Nadal in one of the most memorable finals tennis has seen in years, becoming just the second man ever to beat four top 10 players en route to a Grand Slam title.
And it wasn’t merely because two all-time greats were battling for one more major.
“That final set against Nadal in the finals was some of the best tennis I’ve ever seen him play,” Haas said.
The future
No one is quite sure what the future holds for Federer. Perhaps that’s part of his plan.
He said earlier this year he wasn’t sure if he would be back to defend his Australian Open title in 2018, then Federer committed last month to play three more years at the Swiss Indoors in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland.
Federer told reporters earlier this year that he has no plans to retire any time soon but isn’t sure how his body will hold up moving forward.
Until he does step away from the game for good, he will leave those who watch him play, including opponents, in awe.
“At 35, he showed everyone else that it is possible to perform at your best, with the right training, preparation and mind set,” Zverev said. “Since I played him in Melbourne, I got to witness how quick he is on court and how unpredictable his shots are, especially his passing shots.
“His capability to take the ball early and recognize when to step in or suddenly accelerate the ball or use a slice is just very unique and that allows him to remain at the top — because certain things are very hard to teach. But he managed to build a huge repertoire of weapons he can use on court.”
Federer admits he's not sure when the end will come, though he said he hopes to stay on the ride a little longer. Taking time off this past season rejuvenated him, and that is a scary thought for players waiting with anticipation for him to call it a career.
"There's a lot of things I want to do still," Federer said. "And I hope I'll be around to live it and really enjoy it."
Follow Andrew L. John on Twitter: @Andrew_L_John