'RG 2009 took Roger Federer's career to another level', says former Top 5

When a champion of Roger Federer's caliber announces surgery, the world of tennis - and sports in general - wonders how long fans have to wait to see what they do. The identity card of the champion born on 8 August 1981 is merciless even towards those who have always tried to scoff at the years that pass with the only possible elixir of long life on the fields: the class. The Swiss Maestro has become increasingly meticulous in programming and this lightning bolt in the sky means only one thing: the operation was necessary. On the other hand, we have seen in what physical condition the 20 Slam winner showed up in Melbourne: his talent served as a shield in the battles against Millman and Sandgren, but he presented the bill in the semifinal against Novak Djokovic. In a recent interview with L'Equipe, 1988 Roland Garros finalist Henri Leconte praised the former World number 1 for his ability to conjure 'extraordinary' achievements.

Leconte on Roger Federer

"For Roger Federer, this was James Bond like," Henri Leconte said. "I call him James Bond because he is capable of doing something extraordinary. We didn't expect him to win the Australian Open at his age at all. I want him to make history again and to win another Grand Slam. The fact that he won Roland Garros made him an exceptional player because it was the only (Major) tournament he lacked. For him it was very important. Players like McEnroe or Connors never won Roland-Garros. It took him to another dimension," Leconte added. Federer has won more Grand Slam tournament titles (20) than any other men's singles player. He is also the first men's singles player to have reached ten consecutive Grand Slam tournament finals and a total of 31 Grand Slam finals. He has earned a men's doubles gold medal, and a men's single silver medal at the Olympics in 2008 and 2012, respectively. He has spent the most amount of time in the Open Era at the top of the ATP Rankings (310 weeks). He also holds the record for the most titles (6) at the year-end tournament, where only the year-end eight highest-ranked players participate. Federer was ranked among the top eight players in the world continuously for 14 years and two weeks—from 14 October 2002 until 31 October 2016, when injuries forced him to skip much of the 2016 season.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/37UD3Xz