Christopher Clarey, in his book The Master, takes us through the life and times of Federer, which begins from childhood and covers his fame
A book on Roger Federer always seemed to be due because he is an iconic sportsman who, at 40, still cannot be written off. In fact, winning another Grand Slam in 2022 cannot be ruled out and his performance, even in the recent past, has been powerful in getting him to the semi-finals without much ado. This combination of determination and sparkle is what catapulted Federer to the rank of champion, or rather the master that he is today. But it’s also safe to say that while there could be other displays of brilliance, the time is approaching for the curtains to be drawn down, which makes such a biography so fitting.
Christopher Clarey, in his book The Master, takes us through the life and times of Federer, which begins from childhood and covers his fame. His entry into the big leagues began in 2001 and the book has a vivid description of his match with fellow genius Pete Sampras at Wimbledon. It was probably the starting point of his career when he took the No.1 seed. reacted with tremendous feedback that seemed to be winning. Call it modesty or honesty, it has worked for the past 20 years for Federer.
The reader would be surprised if he was known for his temperament and was described as a “burned head” in his youth. There is probably no trace of him in his behavior today as he is known as a gentleman player who can cry but never shout. In fact, the author shows through the book the softer side of Federer as he tended to stifle talking after the finals, whether he won or lost.
This was not the case at first, when he was known for his quite fiery temper. His temper was brought under control in part thanks to the influence of his favorite trainer Peter Carter, who sadly died in a car accident. The author also draws a parallel with Bjorn Borg, who was known to be “cool” but who started out as an avid gamer.
Memories of his youth may be a bit distressing for the reader, but the book speeds up as he begins to play a lot. Some of his early classic duels were with Andy Roddick and Marat Safin, and Clarey introduces us to some of them. Federer was also a regular at the Davis Cup, playing for Switzerland. Interestingly, he dreamed big not only of playing and winning, but also continuing to his forties! He competed in the 2000 Olympics, but didn’t really make an impression and won the silver medal at the 2012 Olympics where Andy Murray finished with the gold medal. But his first appearance in 2000 was significant because that’s where his personal life took a turn when he met Mirka who later became his wife, and more importantly, had a lot of influence on his game. , making him a tennis player of a certain reputation.
Clarey introduces us to his other epic matches with Djokovic and Nadal, who were likely his nemesis whenever he didn’t win. While it can be argued that the last decade, if not more, has been dominated by the Big 4s, including Andy Murray who fell from that place due to injury, the world has been able to witness some of the most interesting competitions. which were fiercely contested. . There was also a change in playstyle where the basic approach was continued unlike in the days of Becker, Edberg, Sampras etc who rushed to the net to score their winners. But that has more to do with the courts that are no longer grass, Wimbledon being the exception. The author also opens the debate on the best matches which have come in five sets and the Federer-Nadal matches were pitted against those of Borg-McEnroe, where the reader can have his say after watching videos of between them.
Descriptions of some of the hard-fought matches with Nadal and Djokovic can bring back vivid memories. Contrary to what we see in such matches, there are many tensions, both emotional and physical. All of these players have gone through such phases in their careers which are mentioned in some chapters. Maybe Federer made all of those games really easy with his backhands, jumps, forehands and some amazing aces. But mentally and physically, they were exhausting. Clarey delves into the spirit behind these clichés and describes the courage that drove her through these situations.
Clarey as an author is quite exceptional, as in addition to being an avid sports enthusiast and tennis enthusiast in a personal capacity as well as a journalist since 1990, he has followed Federer around the world and made over 20 exclusive interviews at different times. In fact, he claims to have witnessed at least 20 of Federer’s appearances in the Grand Slam event finals. He has followed Federer from the start and has seen his transformation as a person and a player. So the book guides us through all of these changes and will be a Federer’s fan’s delight.
Madan Sabnavis is an independent economist
The Master: The brilliant career of Roger Federer
Christophe clarey
Hatchet
Pp 421, Rs 799
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