So if you’re even a casual tennis fan, or someone in your house is, there’s a good chance your Sunday plans were ruined. That’s because last Sunday was the men’s final at Wimbledon, between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The match started around 9 AM eastern time, which meant you could watch over brunch and, depending on how the match went, still be at the lake a little afternoon. And if the match seemed a bit one-sided, you could turn it off even before then.
Then one thing led to another, and next thing you knew, it’s like 2 o’clock in the afternoon and you’re still stuck on your couch screaming at the television like it just committed a federal offense. That’s because this Wimbledon final was arguably the greatest men’s final in it the tournament’s long history, with Djokovic winning the five set match in a historic fifth set tiebreaker. And it’s definitely historic, because it also the first fifth set tiebreaker in Wimbledon history, since Wimbledon recently changed its longstanding rules to allow a more expeditious ending to matches that could extend towards eternity – as they have. But, even with the changes, the fifth and final set can go twice it’s normal duration – up to twelve games each – before the tiebreak. And that’s what it did on Sunday, with Djokovic overwhelming Federer 7-3 in tiebreak and winning his 16th major tournament – and denying Federer a 21st, even though the Swiss star probably outplayed the winner over the day.
That came as a disappointment to the majority of fans watching at Center Court, as apparent by the fanatic applause every time Roger came closer to sealing the match – and the angst they showed when he couldn’t win either of his two match points in the 5thset. While neither of the players are in any way British, it definitely sounded like London adopted one as their own. Djokovic said he stayed motivated by convincing himself that when they screamed “Roger,” they actually meant “Novak.” Obviously it worked.
Federer wasn’t just the house favorite, but also seeming everywhere outside Serbia. That includes twitter, Facebook, and my own house, where pretty my whole family groaned every time Roger lost a point. This isn’t anything against Djokovic, although he is decidedly less popular than Federer. And it’s not just that Federer may be the most popular player in tennis history. It’s that Roger Federer is days away from turning 38. Which, for a professional athlete that doesn’t sail or play maybe golf, may as well be a dinosaur. Pete Sampras retired at 32, Andre Agassi at 36. John McEnroe retired from singles at 35, and when Jimmy Connors reached the US Open Semis at age 39, it was such a big deal they eventually made a movie about it. In other words, Roger Federer isn’t getting any younger. And even though he’s still playing really, really well, I think we all know that can change rather quickly.
And that, as much as anything, is why everyone felt a little sad when Novak Djokovic won on Sunday, a tennis pro perhaps as good as we’ve ever seen. At 32, we’re fully expecting Novak to win again – very likely at Flushing Meadows in September. But everyone knows, and perhaps fears, that Sunday may have been Roger Federer’s last chance, and I suppose ours as well. That we may just never see him lift the championship trophy again. That 20 will be his final championship total, and sooner than later, we’ll talk about him in the past tense. And yet last Sunday, for just a brief moment – well, nearly five hours, I suppose -- he was so, so close.
In the end, in a strange way, watching sports makes us all consider our own utility, and I suppose our own mortality. A lot of us remember fondly when it seemed nearly impossible that any living human could be more perfect than Federer, at least on the court. He was seemingly unbeatable, a personification of the invincibility of youth. So when Roger Federer becomes not simply beatable, but in turn also mortal, it reminds us that we too aren’t young for all that long. And that time does pass us by, whether we like it or not. That things that once came easily will become difficult. That summers that used to seem to last forever are increasingly a distant memory. When we watch Roger Federer lose at almost 38 years old, unable to win the fight not only against Novak Djokovic, but maybe against growing old, it’s a reminder that nothing lasts forever.
Which is why a whole lot of us delayed our trip to Costco or the pool or wherever you go on a Summer Sunday afternoon to hold on to the past – both Federer’s and our own. Federer may now be beatable, but Father Time is still undefeated. Even if on Sunday, if for just a few hours, it seemed like it just might lose.
Keith Strudler is the director of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. You can follow him on twitter at @KeithStrudler
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