If this really was Roger Federer’s last Wimbledon appearance, then he would not fit into the image of the eight-time champion on Church Road: With 0: 6 he conceded in the third round against Hubert Hurkacz (ATP 18) for the first time at his favorite tournament Maximum penalty.
It is only the third “bagel” in Roger’s Grand Slam career. The other two were in Paris, in 1999 against Patrick Rafter and in 2008 against Rafael Nadal. Also that Federer is thrown out of a major in three sentences, rarely happens. At Wimbledon it happened for the last time in 2002 in the first round against Mario Ancic.
Accordingly, the tennis world rubs its eyes in amazement. ‘Oh my god, what’s going on here? It’s shocking, ”writes Portuguese tennis journalist José Morgado on Twitter.
The ex-champions who now earn their money as TV analysts, on the other hand, seem to have only been waiting for this Federer moment. American John McEnroe, longtime commentator for the BBC, says: “The question was whether one day he will wake up and feel like 39? We experience that day today. It seems like his body is not taking this as well as before. He looks a bit flat. “
Becker: “Don’t know if we’ll see him again”
Boris Becker also has a say on the British TV broadcaster. The German would not put much money on a Federer return to Wimbledon: “He would never say if there was a problem, but I don’t know if we will ever see the great man here again. Time stands still for no man or woman. I noticed the failures, the embarrassing-looking points from Roger and of course the last sentence with the 0: 6. ” What is meant by the embarrassing points is the tie-break in the second set, where Federer makes four mistakes that are unusual for him, including a slip on the network.
How far Federer falls back in the world rankings depends on the further course of the tournament. In any case, the Swedish Eurosport expert Mats Wilander no longer believes in a return to old strength: “If there are a lack of matches, there can be a little lack of self-confidence. When the forehand isn’t working, falling back on the rest of the game isn’t easy when the number one strength isn’t working perfectly. The intimidation factor is starting to fade with Federer, as is the case with everyone. “
It is therefore quite possible that Roger waved to his fans one last time when he left the Center Court. (cmü)
Farewell after the quarter-final out: Is Federer waving to the Wimbledon fans for the last time?(00:23)