Roger Federer has checked in at the Australian Open, bringing with him hope and humility. In Melbourne to play an exhibition doubles game at the year’s first Grand Slam, he coaxed the world to watch 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, an exciting prospect that he thought had it in him to disrupt the overwhelming Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz duopoly.
“I think he’s a little bit like me ..,” he would add and the world would collectively google “Joao Fonseca”.
Federer didn’t sound convincing. He was just being nice, a trait common to true greats. The “little bit like me” that he mentioned was a sky-high bar that a majority of pros can just stare at but never clear. Many media-created Baby Federers failed to reach that level of greatness, lazily thrust on them.
But Federer hyping up a teen with just two ATP titles came with an assurance – retirement hadn’t dimmed the grace and modesty of the understated Swiss. Like was the case all through his career, when the 20-Slam legend speaks, it’s rarely about himself. Not the kind to bore the world with nostalgic tales of his glory days when he was in the thick of things, he talks about tennis’ present and future, when he is a mere bystander. The same can be said about Sachin Tendulkar.
A few weeks back, Tendulkar was seen with India’s other national icon – Amitabh Bachchan. Both were promoting a high-profile tennis-ball tournament. The over-excited anchor would come up with cheesy shayari, call them nation’s “priceless jewels” and also use popular honorifics – Mahanayak and God.
It was when the ‘God’ reference didn’t stop that Tendulkar intervened.
“So how does the God of cricket feel when he has descended to the ground?” the over-eager host would ask.
Tendulkar would cut him short. “God gave me an opportunity to play cricket, I am not The God of cricket. God ensured that I crossed the boundary line holding a cricket bat. I gave my best and He (God) has been kind to me.”
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Cautious conduct
Unlike Federer, a star from a nation of about 9 million known to mind its own business, Tendulkar has to deal with a nosy and noisy billion-plus strong fandom. He has to be guarded, restrained and ultra-cautious.
Like Federer, he can’t even talk up a player. If Tendulkar says he saw “a little bit of him” in a batsman, Indian cricket would go into a tizzy. There would be pressure on the ‘chosen one’, he would get fast-tracked, rise in the ranks and be an overnight celebrity.
Even when he offers career-changing tips to a batsman, read Virat Kohli, it needs to be a secret. Kohli has spoken about Tendulkar helping him and mentioned specific tweaks he suggested. But it is never the other way round.
It’s the modesty, and the respectful denials that they aren’t celestial avatars, that give Federer and Tendulkar the GOAT status despite others breaking their records. (X)
With Tendulkar, like Federer, it is never about him. Those with God-like status long to be treated as mortals. And it is their poise and grace that makes them stay grounded and deal with the heady feeling of fame, the opium that most fail to handle. And also their upbringing.
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Federer and Tendulkar weren’t born like they are now. The tennis prodigy had heavy metal on headphones at full blast and once even dyed his hair peroxide-blond.
Tendulkar wasn’t that wild. He was a regular naughty kid but there was one red flag – he loved John McEnroe, wore a red headband when playing tennis. Both would turn up to be ideal role models – champions who weren’t arrogant or threw tantrums.
Swiss psychologist Christian Marcolli, who worked with a young Federer, always tells his one-time ward one thing – “What you do on the court is extraordinary, but how you handle your life to me is out of this world”.
His friends vouch that those around Federer, with wife Mirka in the starring role, deserve a Nobel prize for sculpting the champ. On his 50th birthday, Tendulkar had told this newspaper a similar story.
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“The atmosphere at home helped — they never made me feel like a superstar. It was normal. Once I walked into home, they would be happy but it was a balanced celebration. At the most, mother would cook something. Our way of showing appreciation, love — and that’s bigger than anything.”
Down to earth
It’s the modesty, and the respectful denials that they aren’t celestial avatars, that give them the GOAT status despite others breaking their records.
Retired American player Sam Querrey, as guest on Patrick McEnroe’s pre-Australian Open podcast Tennisworthy, speaks about booking his tickets for the Federer exhibition game in Melbourne. He played the Big Three but never beat the Swiss champ.
“One win over Rafa, two over Novak, zero over Roger. … You’re always a little more nervous … crowd was always behind him. That was part of his superpower.”
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Patrick acknowledges that Djokovic and Nadal are “unbelievable players” but Federer has “a kind of mystique about him.”
It’s the mystic Federer tries hard to wipe out. Querrey, in his first season on tour, had his first Federer sighting in a lift. And it was the superstar who broke the ice.
“Welcome to the tour, Sam,” Federer said. Decades later, Sam can’t forget the warmth.
Patrick also has a story. In his first year as a TV commentator, he went to interview Federer. Still a sideline TV pundit unsure about his broadcasting skills, a nervous Patrick walked up to the man who had just won a stunning match. Again it was Iceman who broke the ice.
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Before the interview began, Federer told Patrick that years back in the final of an ATP event in Basel, Switzerland, he had “ball-boyed” for him. Patrick, still obliged, says, “That’s him … he made it about me, this little guy who was a scrub on the tour”.
Both knew they were not bigger than the game they played. Federer in his prime, even in Switzerland, would sweep the clay court, level it by dragging the net on it, so that the next to come would have the surface play-worthy. Tendulkar’s last action on the cricket field as an international cricketer was a bow to the pitch. That day Tendulkar was telling the world, he is no God, he is someone who worshiped his sport.
It’s the modesty, and the respectful denials that they aren’t celestial avatars, that give Federer and Tendulkar the GOAT status despite others breaking their records. (X)
