Roger that

LONGEVITY With a record 19 Grand Slam titles under his belt, Roger Federer has proved that age is no barrier to fitness.

Health
Andrew O'Brien

So Wimbledon is over and some old bloke won it. What happened to the New Era, where Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic had confined the poor old guy to history? Where his record, once seemingly impregnable was going to be eclipsed first by Rafael Nadal, then Djokovic? I can’t remember seeing a sportsperson written off so quickly turn around and make fools of the obituary writers, not once, but twice in six months.
Of course I’m talking about Roger Federer, the ‘old man’ of tennis. I remember hearing discussions last year as to whether he should just call it quits so as not to tarnish his legacy by continuing to turn up only to get beaten by ever-more anonymous players. But after taking time off last year Federer, ranked 17th, won the Australian Open – a win that was unexpected and written off as ‘lucky’ by some. Then he sat out the clay court season and French Open, fixing his sights on a record eighth Wimbledon. At this rate, his record of 19 Grand Slam titles won’t last long; not because someone else will break it, but because he will increase it.
There isn’t one single factor that guarantees excellence in any sport. Skill, speed, power, tactical nous, temperament and desire to win are all important. The ability to vary how much each of those elements to use on any given day needs to be considered too.
Brad Gilbert, Andre Agassi’s long-time coach wrote a book called ‘Winning Ugly’, in which he talked about the ‘mental warfare’ of tennis, how to win the ‘unwinnable’ matches. Now, I don’t think anyone has ever accused Federer of playing unattractive tennis, but his ability to get himself out of trouble, seemingly producing aces at will when down break point, is astonishing.
Perhaps most important from a longevity perspective though, is the ability to remain injury free. As we know in Mayo, it’s hard enough to win one title in any sport, and winning several back to back, or over many years is an enormous achievement. But whatever about the other elements, just being healthy enough to get to the start line, and stay fit for two weeks of championship tennis, four times a year for 15 years is incredible. How does Roger do it?
From what I have read, he enjoys tennis. That might sound strange, but it’s not unusual for top sports people to not really love their job; Agassi famously admitted to this in his autobiography. Federer’s training is hard but fun, using short drills and playful warm ups. He uses interval training to match the stop-start nature of a tennis match, but I’ve also heard stories of him using rollerblading to keep fit. And importantly, he takes breaks away from the game. Apparently it’s not uncommon for him to take two or even four weeks off training; as mentioned earlier he took several months off last year to let a lingering injury settle and to refresh himself.
Sometimes it can be worth contrasting players and styles to see patterns. Roger’s obvious rival is Rafael Nadal – a great player no doubt, but someone with a long history of injury issues. When he first appeared on the circuit, Nadal was a more muscular-looking man, and his power seemed to tell whenever the two played; in the last few years though, he has trimmed down. Nadal is a ‘busier’ type of player – all action, all the time – whereas Federer seems to glide and conserve energy.
Interestingly, I saw a picture recently that showed Rafa has a large bunion on his right foot, something that will affect balance and shock absorption. Ever wondered why he always has a strap on the right knee? In contrast, legend has it Roger is slagged by other players for having wide, flat ‘Hobbit feet’. The same story finishes with Roger asking how many trophies the others have.
Whatever makes him great, it is a remarkable feat to win an eighth Wimbledon and 19th Grand Slam overall. I hope he wins a few more. In case you can’t tell, I want to be Roger when I grow up!

Andrew O’Brien is a chartered physiotherapist and the owner of Wannarun Physiotherapy and Running Clinic at Westport Leisure Park. He can be contacted on 083 1593200 or at www.wannarun.ie.