Evergreen Roger Federer going nowhere after perfect revenge mission against Novak Djokovic at ATP Finals

'Motivating': Djokovic hailed his conqueror after Federer pulled off a stunning straight-sets win at the O2
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Joe Krishnan15 November 2019

Roger Federer is 38. Yet somehow, when you say it out loud and look at him at the same time, the sentence doesn't make sense.

It's true that some athletes don't know when their time is up. It might be when they are 30, 35 or even 40, depending on what sport they belong to. Every once in a while, there will be one that proves to be the exception.

On Wednesday night, Federer showed the 21,000 spectators inside the O2 Arena that he fits the description. When asked about how he felt at such a ripe age, Federer turned on the charm. "I feel good, young. It must be the haircut," he joked.

But Novak Djokovic wasn't joking. He was inspired by Federer's evergreen aura. "It motivates me," he said. "It shows me it's possible.

"I have the utmost admiration for him and everything he's doing on the court. What he has achieved over the years and what he's still showing on the court is phenomenal.

In Pictures | ATP Finals 2019

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"He's a role model even for me that I'm one of his rivals and one of the toughest opponents I had in my career. Looking at his career and what he still is doing, it just inspires you."

For the second time in the space of three days, Djokovic found himself on the end of a devastating defeat. Not only was his fate sealed at the ATP Finals, having been the favourite to take a sixth title, but his chances of finishing the year as world number one had evaporated. Rafael Nadal would keep that status going into 2020.

Federer had beaten him soundly. It wasn't a three-setter, but a straight sets 6-4, 6-3 victory that he'd often hand out to a top-100 player. Perhaps Djokovic expected Tuesday's defeat to a younger, fresher Dominc Thiem, but the Serb can hardly have predicted the response he got from Federer.

After four hours and 57 minutes, the Swiss lost in the final set tiebreak of July's thrilling Wimbledon final. It had been four years since he last tasted success against the enormously talented Serbian, and how many more times would he have the chance to beat him?

From the off, the Swiss was aggressive. He was mobile. He was launching every single shot deep into the corner with a ferocious tone. It felt like a throwback to the dominant Federer who obliterated and humiliated every opponent that came into his path. It felt like a statement of revenge.

Federer's message was that he had "moved on" from the pain of his Wimbledon final defeat and that there were no "ghosts" to haunt him about that encounter.

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"Well, they were never really there. There was some press guys that made that up," he said. "So from my standpoint, I didn't know I hadn't beaten him in a few years, actually. It didn't feel that way because it was so close in Paris and in Wimbledon against him.

"I realised I hadn't beaten him since my knee operation. I don't know if that was good to know or not, but anyway, I found out. I'm just happy at the level I could play today, and obviously it's always special beating Novak, even more so of what happened, but I didn't feel like I had to get rid of the ghosts or anything like that. I feel like I moved on pretty quickly after that."

But somewhere buried deep inside this pleasant, eloquent and hugely respectful man is that niggling feeling that every successful athlete has: the urge to win and beat their rivals. Federer is no different. For all the respect he has for Djokovic, there was still a smart part of him that wanted to deny him the chance to return to No1.

"I knew there was a lot on the line for Novak today" he said. "If he wouldn't have won Wimbledon, maybe he wouldn't have even gotten to that. That's what I was telling myself, too. Because he beat me at Wimbledon, actually Novak was as close as he was.

"And Rafa has had an unreal stretch as well. Both guys have had great years. I'm happy I was able to beat both this year, but they both deserve to be ranked higher than me this year.

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It was a good day for tennis. I'm sure to some extent, not just because I beat Novak but the race of the world number one was riding on the match as well, and the atmosphere in the building was very, very nice.

"I was able to produce under pressure, and I was trying to remind myself to play with less pressure than what Novak had throughout the game, and it worked."

It's a feeling Djokovic understands and maybe that's partly why he doesn't get the same reception as Federer does. He appreciates the bitterness that comes with losing to one of your closest rivals, no matter how respectful your relationship is.

"I played Roger now almost 50 times and Rafa, I don't know, 50-plus times," he said. "So of course every loss is painful, but when you play your biggest rivals, you know, that adds a little bit of an extra flavour to the win or to the loss of the match."

Of course, no one can blame Federer for celebrating so emphatically. He may look, feel and play like a 28-year-old, but his mindset appears to be aligned with a seasoned veteran who has enjoyed a phenomenal career and is gradually winding it down one step at a time. Another serious injury could spell the end of his career.

He doesn't play in every tournament like Djokovic, 32, or Nadal, 33, because - by his own admission - he accepts that his body won't allow him to. Instead, he unwinds by spending time with his family and his flexible schedule ensures he has extended recovery periods.

Sooner or later, he will have to watch from the stands as Djokovic and Nadal dominate the sport that used to be his. But as long as Federer is still as fit enough to destroy the world's best returner in straight sets, that day is still a long way in the distance.

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