The Mighty Fed

Athletes have a shelf-life.  They can't all be good forever.  Football players, depending on the position, can play effectively into their 30s.  Baseball players too.  Basketball....sure.  Hockey......definitely.  Tennis......you're pushing it.  Not many men have won grand slams after their 30th birthday.  The numbers are out there.  I'm sure you'll do great finding them.  I'm not mentioning women in this because, as we know, their sports just don't matter.  Sure Sharapova is smoking hot and screams like a pornstar in heat during every shot.  And sure her sport is much more fun to watch than any other women's sport except for maybe volleyball (love them shorts!).  But still.....they're girls.

Roger Federer is dwindling down his career these days.  The greatest, most well-rounded, dynamic, well-spoken (in a ton of languages) player is getting close to the end.  What should he do?  Some guys dedicate themselves to fitness around this time of their careers.  Working out harder and harder to get to balls and stay in plays to give themselves a shot.  Sampras didn't.  He was always one to finish a point quickly.  Big serve, volley, put it away, thanks for playing.  Roger's game can emulate that at times but not often enough.  He may be the best ever but there are things that he needs to change.

Nadal = gets to everything, accurate and tons of spin, best backhand in the game.
Djokovic = great fitness, gotten quicker, more explosive, best forehand in the game.
Andy Murray = makes you make a mistake, good range, smart player.

I've yet to write of these other top 4 players that they hit through anyone.  Their power is there for sure but it's not the biggest part of their games.  Roger's game is pretty, steady, precise.....time to man up a little though.  He's not going to get faster.  He's not going to get better.  He CAN and SHOULD get stronger.  Keep most of the quickness that has made him look like he floats on court but add another 10 pounds of muscle on his frame and he's going to be incredibly tough to beat.  Hit it harder than everyone else and they'll be forced into making a lot of mistakes, hitting bad shots, lobbing cheesecakes out there to be smashed.  Simple enough to me.  Can't hurt.  He's won everything enough times that he can start tinkering with his physicality to see what he's got left.

He hasn't played since Wimbledon.  The hard court season is going on right now.  He'll play a couple tune-up events before the US Open.  He's always good there.  He always has a shot at winning it.  If he's bigger and stronger than the pups he's all of the sudden looking up at in the standings he'll be the favorite.  My guess is he won't read this and he'll fuck it up, won't win the thing, and Djokovic will go on to winning the thing and having the greatest year anyone has ever had.  Way to go Roger.  This is YOUR fault.