Roger Federer

It is a significant challenge to find worthy superlatives for Roger Federer’s never ending litany of accomplishments.

Roger started off 2010 with his 16th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Amazingly, after dominating the sport for most of the past 6 years, he has raised the bar once again for his peers.

One of the most astonishing revelations while watching him as often as I have the privilege of doing, is how he manages so many equal and opposite forces simultaneously. He is so powerful and dynamic while being incredibly graceful and poised. Federer also has a deft respect and appreciation of the sport, and continues to work to not only maintain his skills but also improve them. No one in professional tennis, and possibly all of sports, does a better job of managing their schedules than Federer, peaking at the most important times while still balancing the responsibilities of being a worldwide sporting icon with a healthy family life.

This week Roger has been in Ethiopia with the Roger Federer Foundation working to better the lives of children through health and education. In an era where so many of our heroes seem to find new ways to disappoint their fan base, Federer stands out as a genuine role model for the way he carries himself on and off the sporting field.

The 2010 tennis season will pose some interesting challenges for Federer as players continue to improve. Andy Murray learned some valuable lessons in his Australian Open final loss, mainly that he will need to continue to add offensive skills to his superb defensive capabilities. Marin Cilic has gotten off to a hot start this year winning titles in Chennai and Zagreb while reaching his 1st Grand Slam semi-final. Robin Soderling has huge weapons and continues to gain belief at the highest level with a win at the ATP WORLD TOUR 500 event in Rotterdam last week. Del Potro and Nadal have experienced some injury woes early in the season, but as they heal they will certainly be in the mix. I fully expect Nadal to rebound as soon as he feels the slippery red clay underneath his feet and Del Potro is a threat on every surface with an ability to hurt his opponents with every swing of the racket.

The reality is at some point the Federer dynasty will end, but the good news for everyone, except his opponents, is that time is nowhere close.

~ Justin