Should Roger Federer have played for a few more years?

Roger Federer is one of those gifted players that stood the challenge of age and longevity. Tennis is a sport where usually most players peak in their 20s and not many players are able to sustain that form as they approach their 30s. Roger was one of those rare players who was able to compete and win against players from different eras. As he retires right now at 41 years of age, he has achieved almost everything there was for him and with a strong comeback performance after a timid spell it’s probably the most appropriate moment for him to bow out.

Roger’s greatness compared to other legends

To put Roger’s greatness into perspective, albeit for a short time, he became the oldest world no.1 in the world at the age of 36. When we put this into comparison with other greats of the game we realise how this is different from a one-tournament deep run into a major. Players like Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi and Ken Rosewall had brilliant runs post-35 but none came close to being ranked no.1 in the world.

The knee surgeries have taken a toll

What we need to accept is that the knee surgeries have taken a big toll on Roger’s performance. His form post the pandemic was just there and his last Wimbledon appearance in 2021 was proof that he was starting to burn out. Further for someone like the legend, he wouldn’t be satisfied with just Quarterfinals and Semifinals finishes. Thus his decision for retirement also had a lot to do with how much he was satisfied with his body and performances.

So if we make a clear assessment of his announcement, it has been clearly motivated by factors like things left to achieve, how much his body can take the pressure of the Tour and how well can he square up to the newbies of the circuit. Maybe his professional retirement doesn’t come with a trophy in hand at a major Final, but at least we’ll get to see him for one last time alongside the others from the ‘Big Four’.