Roger Federer: You Say It’s Your Birthday – By: Jack Neworth

Written by: Staff on 8th August 2012

Roger Federer: You Say It’s Your Birthday - By: Jack Neworth

epa03337083 Roger Federer of Switzerland returns to Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina during their London 2012 Olympic Games Tennis competition in Wimbledon, Greater London, Britain, 03 August 2012. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

By: Jack Neworth

Today is Roger Federer’s 31^st birthday. In life, given advances in health these days and with so many living longer, the current #1 tennis player in the world, is still a relatively young man. In tennis, however, given how deep and relentless the competition is week in and week out, Roger’s thirty-one years makes him, if not a senior citizen in the game, certainly well into middle age.

But Roger’s not exactly ready for AARP. Given how he looks and moves on the court, and how he masterfully still plays the game, Fed is giving aging a good name.

Roger’s most recent tennis competition was in the Olympics at Wimbledon where he lost in straight sets to Andy Murray. He played before a highly partisan English crowd aching to see a Brit win Gold. While perhaps Fed’s play wasn’t his best that day, his post-match comments and attitude were as classy as ever.

“Andy was much better than I was today,” Roger said candidly at a press conference. “But don’t feel too bad for me. I’ve had a very good year and I am very, very proud honestly to have won a silver.”

After spending endless hours watching the Olympics these past two weeks, I can say any number of world class athletes who finished second in the Games might have benefited from the example of Roger’s world class graciousness in defeat.

I’m thinking of, but not meaning to single out, American gymnast McKayla Maroney who earned the Silver medal in the vault apparatus. Stunned by not winning, McKayla seemingly couldn’t bring herself to congratulate the Romanian girl who won the Gold.

In her defense, I should point out McKayla, the highly touted favorite in the event, appeared to be in full fledged shock at the moment. And I should also point out the young lady is only 16.

Not to embarrass the birthday boy, but when Roger was 16 he had some serious temper issues. Some say in those days he was a forehand away from a moment of genius, but also an unforced error away from a temper tantrum.

It’s hard to imagine now with the remarkably calm demeanor that has been his trademark for more than a decade, but as a kid Roger was a bit of a hothead. (Not exactly what one thinks of a typical cool Swiss.)

In his own words, “I was getting kicked out of practice sessions non-stop when I was 16,” Federer confessed. At 17, he decided to see a sports psychologist because he wanted to mask his emotions like Ivan Lendl, as opposed to suffering a meltdown like John McEnroe

We don’t know the name of the psychologist, but apparently it worked for Roger, some 17 Grand Slams later and one of the superlative careers in the tennis history. He turned pro in 1988 at age 17 and holds so many world records he should have his own wing at Guinness.

In addition to the 17 Slams, Roger has won 75 career titles (4^th most all-time) holds the record for most weeks at #1, (289 and counting) and last month at Wimbledon reached his 32^nd Slam semi and his 33^rd consecutive Slam quarter, before winning his 7^th Wimbledon title, which set yet another record. So when Roger says he’s happy with his performance this year, it’s easy to see why.

At the bank, Roger’s done fairly well, that is if you call $73,000,000 worth of career winnings (another record) anything but staggering. On Madison Avenue, the handsome, multi-lingual Federer is a champion as well.

From June 2011 through June 2012, Forbes rates our birthday boy as the 5^th highest paid athlete on the planet with annual earnings at $52.7 million ($45 mil in endorsements from such companies as Nike, Rolex, Wilson and Credit Suisse to name but a few, and a paltry $7.7 mil in earnings.)

Roger’s earnings trail only Floyd Mayweather ($85 mil) Manny Pacquaio ($62 mil) Tiger Woods ($59 mill) and LeBron James ($43 mill.) While Roger’s behind these four, he earned more than Kobe Bryant’s $52 mil in the past twelve months. All of this to say, if Roger wants to throw a birthday bash for his family and friends, he’s apparently got the pocket change to do so.

But at the “advanced” age of 31, Roger’s not exactly ready for the easy chair. To the shock of some, he talked about the possibility of playing in the NEXT Olympics in Rio in 2016 when he’d just be turning 35.

Until last month with Roger at Wimbledon, Andre Agassi was the last men’s player to win a Slam after 30. (In 2003, Andre won the Australian Open, which would be his last Slam and in 2005, ironically, he got to the U.S. Open final before losing to Roger!) The point is, after 30 it doesn’t get easier.

But if anyone can turn back the clock (or at least make it slow down) it’s Roger Federer. At this year’s Wimbledon, John McEnroe, commentating on TV, marveled at how Roger, with all his money and titles, stays so amazingly motivated. When asked “how does he do it?” Mac said, “I have no idea.”

On that same broadcast, Mac also said, in his opinion, Roger was the best men’s player in history. How’s that for a nice birthday wish?

(Jack is a freelance writer in Santa Monica and co-author of “Men in White” a screenplay about the life of Pancho Gonzalez and four-decade friendship with Pancho Segura.)

Topics: Andy Murray, Federer, Happy Birthday Roger Federer, Jack Neworth, Roger Federer, Sports, Swiss tennis news, Tennis, Tennis News

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