Finest Year
Tears of anguish. Tears of joy. Pain, rejection, anger. Multiple degrees of jubilation and fatigue. Roger Federer has endured it all in 2009. The year began with a crushing defeat to arch rival Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open. During the trophy presentation, Roger struggled to speak as tears streamed down his face. “It’s killing me,” he said. It was his third Grand Slam loss to Nadal out of the last four majors. Later, Federer’s aching back forced him to withdraw from Dubai and Davis Cup. Then, Darren Cahill refused his coaching offer. In March, boiling with anger and frustration over numerous errant forehands, Roger displayed a rare, emotional outburst, smashing his racquet during the semifinal match against Novak Djokovic at the Sony Ericsson Open.
The beginning quarter of the year was harsh for the Swiss, yet the weeks that followed proved extraordinary. On a personal note, Roger married his pregnant girlfriend, Mirka, in April and kick-started a series of fantastic professional feats.
He took the Madrid Open title, ending Nadal’s 33- match winning streak on clay. Yet, he realized greater satisfaction at the French Open when Federer matched Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles and completed a Career Grand Slam. He also reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking from Nadal.
Due to exhaustion, Federer took a break from the pre-Wimbledon tournament, Gerry Weber Open, but returned to London refreshed and in top form. He faced Andy Roddick in the final and after 4 hours and 17 minutes, the “instant classic” match set a record for the most games played in a Grand Slam final at 77. Federer prevailed and became the new world Grand Slam record holder with 15 titles.
Shortly after Wimbledon, Roger and Mirka became first-time parents to twin girls. Federer said it was the greatest day of his life.
As the US Open approached, he said he had nothing to prove and winning additional titles would be bonus. Roger played with a sense of ease and calm as demonstrated during the semifinal match against Novak Djokovic. It was there that he said he hit the greatest shot of his life, a between-the-legs passing shot. The crowd roared with excitement. Djokovic starred in astonishment. Roger won that match, but the title, however, would go to Juan Martin Del Potro in a 5-set thriller.
As the tennis season started to wind down, Federer played in Davis Cup. His victory over Simone Bolelli of Italy secured Switzerland’s qualification for the World Group. The 28-year-old said, “I was able to play very well. I have to go on holiday badly. I have a problem with my leg, I have a problem with my arm — everything is hurting. And I've got to do some baby-sitting.”
Roger Federer’s 2009 mega world record breaking success has changed the face of tennis history. Undoubtedly, the Swiss has experienced the “Finest Year” of any Touring professional.
