a magic that never ends (not even in retirement) – Corriere.it

The applause meter is useless. There is no tool capable of measuring the thickness of the anticipation that precedes every appearance by Roger Federer, especially at Wimbledon, the tournament he dominated eight times, especially in the Royal Box, the most exclusive grandstand in the Kingdom, 74 extra-luxury seats with a central view (short side of the court, the best), which can be accessed by invitation only. Invitation from a member of the All England Club, of course, the private London club in Church Road; better if the president Ian Hewitt, even better if the patroness Kate Middleton.

This is how he showed up, fresh from the Coldplay concert in Zurich, wrapped up in a suit creams which underlined a recently acquired roundness. He walked in to the cheers and stood to take it all, straight and proud as each of the eight times he’s lifted the cup on Wimbledon’s premier lawn (this year’s favourite, Novak Djokovicin case of victory he risks equaling Roger’s tally), from the first (against Philippoussis, 6 July 2003) to the last (against Cilic, 16 July 2017), Kate to his right and wife Mirka to his left. In the back row, and would not have been missing for any reason in the place of their son’s soul, Federer’s parents, Robert the Swiss and Lynette the South African, the creators of the most successful alchemy of modern tennis.

Already shivering from the rain, Wimbledon stopped to pay tribute to the championwho then stayed to follow the match by Andy Murray, l’enfant du pays capable twice of annexing the lawns on the southern outskirts of London, gifted with the usual humor: «Next to the royals I see a slice of royal tennis – said Murray at the end of the match (won) -, and I am pleased that Roger this time I applauded because the last time I remember him as a spectator of one of my matches he was in Wawrinka’s box, it was a match in the London 2012 Olympic tournament, and Roger was rooting for him…».

Yeah, why the placebo effect that the advent of the retired Federer brings with it
now that he is no longer personally engaged in shooting forehands and backhands, it is the legitimate desire that the best of all stops and looks at you. He said it right, bluntly, the number one in the world Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish boy who dreamed of having a chat with Roger and was disappointed because the Royal Box is only on the central court and he was instead engaged on court no. 1: «I dream that Federer sees me play tennis, I dream of confronting him in the locker room. I saw on social media that he was here at Wimbledon, I wanted to meet him, I was jealous of Murray!”.

The imposed hands of the pope of tennis, the last wish of the best of youth. That’s not to say it won’t happen, Carlito. Federer appears little, but that little leaves its mark. Try again, you’ll be luckier.