The end is near for Fed

[bksballer89]

Just announced he is dropping out of the olympics and won't play for the rest of the season. There is a chance that the 2016 Wimbledon Semi Finals was the last time we see Fed play a competitive tennis match

 

[ill]

I think we were all hoping he would go out like Sampras with a major win and a smile on his face.

 

[nuraman00]

He could still come back after injury. I just didn't think his injuries would keep him out this long.

I thought for sure he'd play the Olympics, maybe Cincinnati, then the USO.

 

[Eco]

I don't think he'll come back -- at least not as the Federer we will all remember. Such an extremely sad day for tennis. Him sitting out will mean that he'll finish outside the top 10 at the end of the year, and not win any tournaments, which will be the end of his era I fear.

Get well soon Fed and please, for the love of God, prove me wrong...

 

[nuraman00]

I think we were all hoping he would go out like Sampras with a major win and a smile on his face.

He doesn't have to go out like that for me.

I just don't want him to end while injured.

If he were to go out losing to Raonic like he did, it would have been ok, as long as we knew beforehand what his last tourney would be.

I don't want his last tourney to be a tourney that I didn't know was going to be his last tourney.

 

[Hs0022]

I am officially losing interest in tennis. Actually it's not too bad I canceled TENNIS TV subscription a while back so I am saving 20 bucks per month. Also not having to stay up for Grandslam events or trying to change work schedule has done wonders for me in my personal life. I can simply follow tennis if I like on the news headlines. So I am not too sad. The best part is that I am not playing anymore otherwise this would affect me more.

 

[nuraman00]

I am officially losing interest in tennis. Actually it's not too bad I canceled TENNIS TV subscription a while back so I am saving 20 bucks per month. Also not having to stay up for Grandslam events or trying to change work schedule has done wonders for me in my personal life. I can simply follow tennis if I like on the news headlines. So I am not too sad. The best part is that I am not playing anymore otherwise this would affect me more.

I'm both happy and sad at this. Happy because you said it is helping your personal life.

Sad, because it means we will receive less input from you during grand slams.

 

[Hs0022]

I'm both happy and sad at this. Happy because you said it is helping your personal life.

Sad, because it means we will receive less input from you during grand slams.

There was a time when I was so obsessed with tennis that I could not think about a life without having tennis in all different forms in my life as often as possible. When the weather would be terrible or I would be sick I longed for the tennis court like nothing else I can imagine. Then I was young and following the likes of Becker, Sampras, Edberg, Steffi (I was such a fanatic about Steffi that I would listen to radio commentaries on BBC and go through all the emotions and every single ups and downs in her matches point by point as she played yet another slam final or semis). I would cringe with a caustic sadness everytime Sampras fell at the French. And then came Federer and elevated my tennis awareness to a whole different level, because I had started playing a year or two before he made his mark.

Then came the frenzy of buying his racquets after I had already gone through the Sampras racks. I lived and enjoyed life moment by moment as I played on my own very small club level as I followed Fed's journey.

But things took a turn for the worse when I first hurt my shoulder and then my foot. Both kept me away from tennis. Then Fed's slow decline and I was starting to feel the disinterest creeping in and the roller coaster of a ride slowing down. The slams were harder to watch as my life reshaped and changed. Got married, settled down - A Lot, but I would still go through the strong emotions of another Fed milestone or record.

Now I think it's time to gradually draw the curtains on this aspect of life because life itself is so beautiful and tennis is only one part of it a part that I vitally needed once when my life was unbalanced and I was introverted. I have no regrets and still call it the best individual sport to play ever and will try to teach my son to play in the future.

And if someone worth watching comes along then one day I might again get excited with rapid heartbeats and pacing up and down through a match. I doubt that would happen because tennis has reached a saturation point with Djokovic and all the double handers armed with powerful frames and strings just bashing the ball like a human backboard. I would rather watch a live chess match than that.

 

[bksballer89]

I am officially losing interest in tennis. Actually it's not too bad I canceled TENNIS TV subscription a while back so I am saving 20 bucks per month. Also not having to stay up for Grandslam events or trying to change work schedule has done wonders for me in my personal life. I can simply follow tennis if I like on the news headlines. So I am not too sad. The best part is that I am not playing anymore otherwise this would affect me more.

Yeah I used to stay up/wake up early for the Aussie Open but I no longer do that. I watch until 12 or 1 AM EST and that is it for me.

 

[ill]

I don't think there are any sports that I alter my life in order to watch. I will catch them live when I can, but I have no problem just watching highlights. By that I mean quality highlights, not some shit ESPN coverage where they show two rallys and say who won or whatever drama they can drum up.

 

[bksballer89]

I don't think there are any sports that I alter my life in order to watch. I will catch them live when I can, but I have no problem just watching highlights. By that I mean quality highlights, not some shit ESPN coverage where they show two rallys and say who won or whatever drama they can drum up.

Likewise.

 

[nuraman00]

Yeah I used to stay up/wake up early for the Aussie Open but I no longer do that. I watch until 12 or 1 AM EST and that is it for me.

I stay up and watch on the DVR, even if not live, various sports. I try to watch some live, but if I can't, I'll do it at the end of the day when I'm free. Or after a few days, if I'll be busy for a few days, and catch up that way.

I'll get up early for some FO or Wimbledon QF, SF, or Finals. Or at least watch a few sets before leaving for work, then continue when I get home.

For the AO, I'll watch some SF and Finals live. For the other rounds, by the time I start in the evening, I'll catch up on the evening session of the previous day, and the day session of the current day, given the time difference. Then I might start the evening session of the next day, depending on how I feel.

On a side note, I think if there are 5 matches on center court at the USO during a day, and 5 matches on center court at the AO, 4/5 of the USO matches are likely to be in straight sets, while 3/5 of the ones at the AO are likely to be competitive with both players winning sets.

 

[Old Lion]

Yeah I used to stay up/wake up early for the Aussie Open but I no longer do that. I watch until 12 or 1 AM EST and that is it for me.

Same here. I would rather play than watch, but I will still go to Newport and occasionally the USO. I try to watch some of all the majors (even the French, LOL). Only watch other ones sparingly.

 

[bksballer89]

Same here. I would rather play than watch, but I will still go to Newport and occasionally the USO. I try to watch some of all the majors (even the French, LOL). Only watch other ones sparingly.

The only 2 majors I really get to lock in on are the US Open and the Aussie Open. I usually miss the night session for the Aussie Open but usually get to watch 5-6 hours of the day session nightly. As for the US Open, I miss the early matches but usually able to see most of the mid to late afternoon and entire night sessions.

Barely get to see Wimbledon & French unless it is the weekend. Sucks because I love Wimbledon.

As for the non grand slam events, I only really care about the Master 1000 here in the North America so basically Indy Wells, Miami, Cincy, & Toronto

 

[Hs0022]

I used to dream about going to Flsuhing Meadows just watch Fed play. Don't have that kind of money or the time. Now that Fed is semi retired it would be pointless for me.

 

[ill]

I used to dream about going to Flsuhing Meadows just watch Fed play. Don't have that kind of money or the time. Now that Fed is semi retired it would be pointless for me.

I remember seeing him back in 2001 or so on one of the side courts. I remember a buddy of mine shook his hand and saying "I'm never washing this hand again." That's back when Agassi and Sampras were still the big draws.

 

[nuraman00]

The only 2 majors I really get to lock in on are the US Open and the Aussie Open. I usually miss the night session for the Aussie Open but usually get to watch 5-6 hours of the day session nightly. As for the US Open, I miss the early matches but usually able to see most of the mid to late afternoon and entire night sessions.

Barely get to see Wimbledon & French unless it is the weekend. Sucks because I love Wimbledon.

As for the non grand slam events, I only really care about the Master 1000 here in the North America so basically Indy Wells, Miami, Cincy, & Toronto

For me, for the non grand slams, I'll follow the draw/scores, and if a SF or Finals match late in a tourney looks interesting, I'll watch.

So I can watch something like Atlanta or Washington, Monte Carlo or Rome, or the Japan Finals if I like the matchup. But not every year, some years I'll skip some of those.

 

[Smart]

I used to dream about going to Flsuhing Meadows just watch Fed play. Don't have that kind of money or the time. Now that Fed is semi retired it would be pointless for me.

I specifically am going this year because I wanted to watch Fed there before he retires. I had tickets to four sessions on Arthur Ashe, with the idea being that I would sell a couple of sessions where Fed didn't play. I'm still going and will probably watch 1-2 sessions, but it is definitely a bummer.

 

[Smart]

I don't think he'll come back -- at least not as the Federer we will all remember. Such an extremely sad day for tennis. Him sitting out will mean that he'll finish outside the top 10 at the end of the year, and not win any tournaments, which will be the end of his era I fear.

Get well soon Fed and please, for the love of God, prove me wrong...

I mean, the Federer we all remember has been gone since 2009. We've seen B- Federer for years. It's just that post-prime Federer is still ridiculous. I think you re right that Federer will probably be worse, but I still think C Federer will be tremendously entertaining. No one has a prettier forehand.

I expect that Fed will retire at the end of either 2017 or 2018. And I think I speak for many tennis fans when I say the sport will never be the same.

 

[nuraman00]

I still thought FED was great from 2010 - 2015, except for 2013. He either did well or could still win tough matches, most majors during that span.