Jimmy Connors urges Roger Federer to keep going

Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer are among the most accomplished players in the Open era, winning more than 200 ATP titles combined and sharing 28 Majors. Longevity is one of the significant aspects of their careers, both capable of maintaining a high level for two decades and compete against much younger opponents. Roger had the opportunity to meet Jimmy in Basel when the American played that prestigious indoor event, not even thinking about chasing the number of titles that Connors collected in his notable career. The five-time year-end no. 1 between 1974-78 grabbed his last ATP trophy in 1989, standing on 109 ATP titles and standing as the leader of the pack for more than three decades once it became clear that Ivan Lendl will not be able to pass him.

Federer got his name on the list of ATP champions in Milan 2001, still as a teenager, becoming the best player in the world a couple of years later and dominating over the rest of the field in his prime years to add more and more ATP crowns and moving in front of the legends like Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg. After a terrible 2013, Roger bounced back in style to stay on Connors' trail despite the fact he couldn't win any titles in 2016 due to a knee injury. Between 2014-2019, Federer celebrated in 26 tournaments, staying competitive well after turning 30 and becoming the second player in the Open era with 100 ATP titles in Dubai last year. Currently, the Swiss stands on 103 crowns, six less than Jimmy who has urged Roger on Twitter to carry on as long as possible, supporting the fellow legend who expects to make a comeback from a knee surgery if the season restarts by the end of the year. 

"What a classic photo; would love to have the original on my wall. Before it all started, who could have imagined back then what was to come. Keep it going!"

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2Vm7UHN