For years, Roger Federer’s body was something a person could count on. Much like the infamous “death and taxes”, Roger Federer’s body was not going to fail him. It was going to show up; it was going to perform; it was going to float, glide, chase, defend, and approach. It was the sun in the morning–the moon at night. His ability to play day in and day out over the course of his hall of fame career is what has made this season so jarring and worrisome for his fans and the ATP. Although so much attention has been paid to his bath time knee injury, and his back strain that occurred at Madrid this week, one must ask, how has Roger Federer been so injury free for most of his career?
Style
Fluid, smooth, graceful, and effortless are just a few of the adjectives that have been used over the years to describe Roger Federer’s game, and they are all accurate. Federer’s ball striking is some of the most fluid, easy, and almost genteel in the history of the game. This fluidity has allowed his body’s muscles to go through much less microtraumas compared to his peers, whose swings often have hitches, or form issues that create much more stress on their muscles and ligaments. Also, the fact that Federer is an all court player, who doesn’t utilize raw power exclusively to win points, helps cut down on the violence of the impacts that rattle through his racquet to his arm, shoulders, back, etc. Couple this swing fluidity, with feet that seem to be born from ballroom dancers, the chance for injury on the court is greatly reduced. The quality of Federer’s feet and movement are some of the most overlooked strengths on the ATP Tour. His feet skim over the top of the court, no matter the surface. Clay, grass, or hard, it seems as if he is hovering rather than running; no matter how far off court he is dragged, his torso always appears square, and his legs always positioned to easily recover into the court. There is no wasted movement, and there are never any awkward steps, rolling of ankles, or tumbles to the ground. As Kathryn Bennets , of the Royal Flanders Ballet, discussed in a well-circulated article with the New York Times in 2009, “He has this smoothness to him–an ease that makes him special. He’s an artist, so refined. Like how dance transports you to a different place, so does he.””
Efficiency
The efficiency with which Federer plays and schedules his season is also a key reason to his lack of injuries over the years. Of his 10 wins this year, only two of those have gone beyond the requisite number of sets. In 2015, of the 63 victories he claimed, only 10 went into an extra set. Even going back further in 2014, only 20 matches went into extra sets, 13 in 2013, and 20 in 2012. The fact that he often wins his tour matches in 2 sets, and his Slam matches in 3 saves hours of court time on his body. Like saving miles on your prized sports car, the lack of wear and tear from reduced hours keeps his body able to perform at optimum levels. Over the past two seasons, Federer has only played an average of 18 tournaments a year, including the Davis Cup ties he chooses to participate in. Meanwhile the likes of Stan Wawrinka played 23, Kei Neishikori 21, Andy Murray 22. Although the number may appear to be fairly similar, the number of hours that playing five more tournaments would add to Federer’s body would be quite significant. Of course his ability to make a light schedule some would argue comes from his accumulation of points, and that is true, but even as far back as 2004 Federer only played 19 tournaments. All those pounding steps on the hard courts, slips on the grass, and awkward slides can add up the trauma on a body, even for one as graceful and skilled as Federer’s.
Federer’s movement and graceful athleticism can only be approximated and never completely copied, but it seems younger players with big aspirations for the pro tour could learn much from his scheduling choices. Hopefully for the ATP and its fans, these two injuries in 2016 will be looked back on as mere blips on Federer’s physical radar, and not as a marker to where Federer’s body started to give way on him.
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