Roger Federer: The untold story :P

Roger Federer the Swiss maestro, regarded by many as the greatest tennis player of all time. Having won 18 major grand slams and in all around 89 titles he has dominated the era along side his arch rival Rafel Nadal. This is what Wikipedia will tell you about Federer. However there is more to a great player than records. Its his journey and the people who make him great, the people who play a major role behind the scenes ...

Federer started playing tennis at the age of 6. Peter Carter started coaching him when he was 9. For years he trained under him. Carter spotted the greatness in him before the world knew his name. He pushed his limits. Federer took this casually(in his words ... for me it was definitely more than casual :P ). He was good but not good enough. In an interview in 2001, the reporter asked him," What is your ambition? What do you think how far can you go in this game?" Federer replied," I hope to win at least one US Open." It seems ridiculous to us now after we have seen him take over 5 of those and 13 other major grand slam titles but to a young 20 years old it was a big deal back then. It is easy for us to see it happen from the couch after it has already happened.

In 2002, Federer urged Carter to take a holiday. Unfortunately he died on the way in a car crash at a young age of 37. This event deeply upset Federer. He realised how important and valuable his life is. He realised that he never gave justice to his talent. This boosted his spirits and the world got Federer.

Every man needs a woman when his life is mess, because just like in the game of chess, Queen protects the King. Roger and Mirka met during the Sydney Olympics in 2000. In 2002, they played as mixed doubles partners. Injury forced Mirka to retire that year. But her love for Federer and tennis endured. She didn't just become his wife, but his agent, publicist and hitting partner as well. They are hardly away from each other. She comes to all his matches and travels with him on tour. All that and she also manages to take care of their two sets of twins. Roger makes tennis look easy, because Mirka makes life easy for him. They are the perfect team. 


"She was there when I had no titles and she's still here, 89 titles later." - Roger after winning the 2017 Australian Open

PS: I am so into the exam mood that I actually had the urge to write this answer in points form (The reasons behind Federer's success :P) but controlled it.

Dedicated to,
Roger Federer,
Peter Carter,
Mirka Federer,
All RFites,
Thank You for reading,
From,
Hetansh Shah a.k.a Hetu :]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The True Value of Overpricing

Image
 If you’ve ever been to an Indian market, you’ve probably witnessed (or participated in) the age-old ritual of bargaining. Whether it’s haggling with an auto-rickshaw driver over ₹10, negotiating with a street vendor for an extra lemon, or convincing the shopkeeper to round down the price of bangles, we Indians love a good deal. It’s in our DNA—we take pride in securing the best price possible. But sometimes, just sometimes, it’s okay to pay a little extra for something you truly like. That ₹5, ₹10, or even ₹20 extra isn’t just about money; it’s about the value of joy. Because It Feels Right Imagine this: You’re at your favorite chai tapri, the kind that serves tea in earthen kulhads. You can get chai for ₹10 at the next stall, but this stall makes it just right—kadak (strong), with the perfect balance of adrak and elaichi. The shopkeeper tells you it’s ₹15. Do you bargain, or do you simply hand over the extra ₹5 because this is the chai your heart wants ? Sometimes, that extr...
Read more

Bullshit Something Principle

Image
Ever found yourself in a debate, armed with facts, logic, and a perfectly reasoned argument, only to feel like you're trying to nail jelly to a wall? You present a meticulously sourced piece of information, and your opponent counters with a wild, baseless claim that sounds vaguely plausible to the casual listener. You then spend ten times the effort debunking their nonsense than it took them to invent it. If this sounds like your last family dinner or that endless scroll through social media comments, then congratulations! You've just experienced Brandolini's Law in action. So, What in the Heck is Brandolini's Law? Also known as the "Bullshit Asymmetry Principle," Brandolini's Law states: "The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it." In plain English: It takes way, WAY more effort to debunk a false claim than it does to make one up. This isn't some ancient philosophical text or a deep s...
Read more

Following Your Conscience

Image
Imagine being torn between everything you've been taught and everything you've experienced. That’s exactly where Huck Finn finds himself in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Society tells him that helping Jim, a runaway slave, is wrong—sinful, even. Yet, every moment spent with Jim reveals a different truth: kindness, loyalty, and friendship that transcends race and social norms. Picture Huck holding a letter he’s written to Miss Watson, ready to betray Jim. But then he remembers—the laughter they shared, the times Jim protected him, the genuine care in Jim’s eyes. And in that moment, Huck does something extraordinary. He tears up the letter and declares, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell!” This isn’t just a rebellious act; it's Huck’s way of saying, “I trust my heart more than the world around me.” It’s a moment we all can relate to—when we realize that what everyone else believes might not be what we believe. Think about it: How often do we find ourselves ...
Read more