Roger Federer

Federer kept alive a one-handed backhand, tried rushing the net on returns and helped popularize the between-the-legs shot. And with the Laver Cup, ...

The one that will be known from now on as the event he used to say farewell. “A way to treat people, especially on the heels of other all-time greats of tennis who were edgy or prickly or reclusive or you didn’t feel like you got a whole view of them. Craig O’Shannessy, a leading tennis analytics expert, thinks Federer helped to keep “serve and volley on life support” although he used the tactic sparingly, even on grass, after his early years. I hope he can keep it up, even if he can’t go as long as Roger did, because I see a lot of people and kids getting excited.” 1 at age 36, he has extended the timeline in men’s tennis, managing his schedule and fitness training with great forethought. But the gaps will continue to be refilled, and Federer and his agent Tony Godsick have used plenty of their political capital to try to anchor the Laver Cup in the schedule since its creation in 2017. But Dimitrov, 31, has not managed to make the leap to major champion. “And you usually have better slices and volleys if you use the one-hander all the time.” Federer, a part owner of the event that is run by his management company, Team8, cares about its viability and credibility. Following behind is a new generation of hungry players, ready to muscle their way into the breach. Only seven men in this week’s top 100 use the one-hander, and the figures are even lower in the women’s game. And with the Laver Cup, he showed that tournaments can be different, too.