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“God save the king”: What does the Swiss press write the day after Roger Federer’s resignation was announced?
Tages-Anzeiger: “He revolutionized the entire sport”
With Roger Federer, Switzerland loses its best athlete of the past – even the attribute “of all time” might even be justified at this point. But actually it is wrong to speak of a loss. Federer’s career haul, presence, dedication and impact on tennis and even professional sport as a whole has been far greater than anyone could have imagined. […]
He freed professional tennis from heavy, seemingly given burdens – like the need to give back as little as possible, to see the competitors as rivals and the media as a nuisance. He saw the opponents as companions and the journalists as ambassadors who could convey the excitement, beauty and diversity of tennis to the public. In doing so, he differed markedly from the widespread attitude of “take the money and run” that many of his professional colleagues had and still did in his day.
Aargauer Zeitung: “He gave us the illusion of perfection”
We admired the ease with which he seemed to float across the square like a dancer. We were enchanted by his elegance, by his playing, which resembled a ballad. The beatings intoxicated, seduced and beguiled us. If he celebrated tennis, that distracted us from our own shortcomings. He gave us the illusion of perfection.
Roger Federer, the dancer, the artist, the record hunter: whether in Melbourne, Paris, London, New York or Latin America – wherever he went onto the square, a hurricane broke out. Not only because of the great respect that people show when you inspire them. it was more It was: penetrating love. For 2 decades, Federer had a love affair with the public. The key to this is not just his game. It’s Federer, the man. He cried when he won and he cried when he lost. His voice broke when he tried to say thank you. And we? We suffered with him. If he seemed cool on the pitch, the emotions erupted all the more violently from him next to it.
He is an ambassador that every country, company and foundation dreams of. And who is now a very rich millionaire who associates with the rich and beautiful.
View: “Roger Federer’s way from boy to giant”
Little Roger, who collected stones as a punishment and was often sent off for his rowdy behavior, has become a global role model. He goes down in tennis history as a legend – not only because of his success, but also because of his fairness, popularity and his creative, artistic game. A number of books have paid tribute to the Swiss tennis phenomenon, and US writer David Foster Wallace, who died in 2008, even praised Roger as a “religious experience”.
As the first living personality, the Swiss Post dedicates a special postage stamp to him. Streets at home and abroad will be named after Roger Federer, and maybe one day stadiums too. And “by the way”: Roger paid compulsory military service until he was 30 years old, with the federal government collecting 3 percent of Federer’s taxable income annually. He is an ambassador that every country, company and foundation dreams of. And who is now a filthy rich millionaire who associates with the rich and beautiful and counts people like Bill Gates among the great admirers.
Legend:
The “Maestro” dominates the covers
Roger Federer’s resignation is the number one topic in the Swiss media landscape the day after the announcement.
SRF
NZZ: “And suddenly everything seems right”
It’s not an out of nowhere announcement, and yet one with a bang. Because the day has come that millions of tennis fans would rather have imagined forever in the distant future. […] The more time passed without clear signals that top tennis could work again, the more information about setbacks got through on the rocky road back, the more people felt compelled to judge Federer’s handling of the inevitable.
He’s damaging his own monument with his intransigence! Who wants to see Mr.Elegance, a poor copy of his best self, lose to profane tennis workers like Hubert Hurkacz? Or in a nutshell: why is he doing this to himself? […] Federer is now ending the debate with a clear decision that many did not believe he was capable of at the time – because they thought they knew he would continue to pursue an increasingly utopian goal at least until next year.