Federer's Tears Seen 'Round the World
When Roger Federer very publicly broke down in tears during the trophy presentation after losing to Rafael Nadal in a five set final at the 2009 Australian Open, the worldwide TV audience saw every tear up close. Federer has cried during other post-match ceremonies, e.g. when he won his first Wimbledon title and when he received the Australian Open trophy from Rod Laver in 2006. However, those were tears of joy and Federer’s tears last Sunday showed how devastated he was by his third consecutive loss to Nadal in a Grand
Slam final (2008 Wimbledon and French Open finals)… this time on a hard court. Nadal has clearly established himself as the Number One player on all surfaces with his performance in the past year. However, it was Nadal’s actions (he put his arm around Federer after receiving the winner’s trophy and made Federer smile) and words in accepting the trophy which showed why Nadal is also a champion off the court. Nadal handled “the moment” with such class, grace and empathy. The sport of tennis was the real winner… we are so lucky to have Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the top of the game.
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Comments
Roger Federer has dominated men's tennis for such a long time with a style of tennis that has only now been exposed for it's inability to beat the game of Nadal. My guess is Roger is experiencing such a level of devastation upon realization that all the things that have been part of his success are ineffectual now against the world's greatest, that he broke down in tears. In order to beat Nadal, Roger will need to change his tactics, get a coach, and work on the mental part of the game more. As for Nadal, a Grand Slam is not out of the question anymore.
Posted by: sungod | February 14, 2009 04:28 PM