The aesthetics of sport

My infatuation with Federer is not all about the numbers. Sure, he's won 12 grand slam titles in 4 years, has been the unchallenged world number one for about the same amount of time, is the only player to have won Wimbledon and the US Open back-to-back 3 years running, and here's a new stat: the only one to have reached the semis of 15 straight majors. Now that last one is harder than it sounds: it not only means that Roger made it to 15 straight majors, which most players don't do - actually no player has done in the open era - because invariably the tennis takes its toll and players suffer some kind of injury or fatigue. However, Federer's uniquely effortless playing style contributes to his presence at every major, his consistency of play and flawlessness while he's at it.

Anyway, I realize I rattled off a series of numbers after telling you it's not really about them - but that's unavoidable. The point I am trying to make here is that Roger is an artisan on the tennis court. The backhand passing shots that consistently increase by single degrees, the powerful, ruthless forehand that is quickly followed up by a feather light touch of the ball, the elegant footwork that allows an apparent ground stroke to turn into a volley mid-shot, and the only apt end to that sentence would be to trail off and let you watch this video yourself:




And while Federer is unparalleled on a tennis court, both in stats and artistry, in the last few years, the tennis world has been blessed with a sportsman who can finally alleviate the ridiculous asymmetry, if only by a little bit. Richard "baby Fed" Gasquet, as he is rightly called, comes closest to matching Federer shot for shot, point for point, in a sometimes eerily similar style and equally placid demeanor. At 21, the talented Frenchman has light years to go before he can even dream of getting close to the Federer numbers, but until then the visuals will have to do: