{"id":6616,"date":"2018-02-07T06:30:18","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T11:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=6616"},"modified":"2022-09-15T09:53:58","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T13:53:58","slug":"roger-federer-must-play-2018-french-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2018\/02\/07\/roger-federer-must-play-2018-french-open\/","title":{"rendered":"Roger Federer Must Play 2018 French Open"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Roger Federer must play the French Open.\u00a0You read that right.\u00a0Must. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In the year 2018, the greatest player (dead or alive) to ever pick up a racquet has just won his 20th Grand Slam.\u00a0The planet passionately adores this man for his sportsmanship, philanthropy and overall good nature.\u00a0Even #NadalNation and #NoleTwitter respect Roger Federer. By all accounts, he\u2019s a great husband and loving father to four cute kids. Based on that, it would seem the Swiss sports giant doesn\u2019t owe anybody anything.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Oh, but he does.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">At age 36, he really, (no really this time), might have one more shot at a French Open championship. Here\u2019s why he must play:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>1<\/strong>. \u00a0<b>He said he would<\/b>. \u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">When he announced he wouldn\u2019t play in Paris last year, Federer said, \u201c<\/span><span class=\"s2\">I will miss the French fans, who have always been so supportive and I look forward to seeing them at Roland Garros <i>next year<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">As someone with an\u00a0unassailable reputation, Federer\u2019s known to keep his word. Time and again, he\u2019s pushed himself to honor commitments to both charitable causes and cash-strapped tournaments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Also, he\u2019s the GOAT. GOATs don\u2019t skip Majors if they can help it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"Zl90s-0nQgBmy3-bftzEeA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/911529094\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Zl90s-0nQgBmy3-bftzEeA',sig:'Ut27TVfQ2Dpy3-6OcgnHVqvr3b5ahzJIuB_6nUmNfPg=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'911529094',caption: true ,tld:'co.uk',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>2<\/strong>. \u00a0<b>He owes the sport<\/b>. \u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">As much as Federer has done for tennis, the sport has treated him equally well. It\u2019s a symbiotic relationship. $115 million-plus in career prize money alone. Forbes ranked him as\u00a0the 4th-highest paid athlete of 2017, behind only Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Lionel Messi. And that\u2019s just 2017. Think of the millions upon millions in\u00a0endorsements from mainstay mega-partners like Nike, Mercedes Benz and Rolex. Pour a recent $40 million from Barilla pasta into the pot. That\u2019s some serious Swiss\u00a0bank. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">But the relationship between Fed and tennis goes way beyond money.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Playing this sport has afforded him the opportunity for\u2014not just a wonderful life\u2014not just the chance to travel the world, meet\u00a0power-brokers and influencers, affect global change with a single tweet\u2014but tennis has offered him immortality. The chances that people will remember, oh let\u2019s say\u2026 Bjorn Borg 100 years from now? Pretty low. Our short attention spans and ever-changing digital world make historical events and the humans within eminently forgettable. But accomplish something like 20 Slams, including a handful at an older age? To do what he\u2019s done? Nobody\u2019s going to forget Roger Federer, maybe ever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Oh and there\u2019s this: The powers-that-be in the sport have been paving the way for Federer. The GOAT is given preferred match times, favored courts, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2018\/01\/28\/reason-australian-open-final-indoors-roof-closed-roger-federer\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">even a roof over his head<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On the gold-plated balance scale of Roger Federer and tennis, it\u2019s time for him to add more weight to his side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"4IJbb6oASfZmNJyf8eeXNQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/853167752\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'4IJbb6oASfZmNJyf8eeXNQ',sig:'Z5j25GaHH8_XtUQklDQi82gqXLgg6XgriQ4s50-nskA=',w:'594px',h:'387px',items:'853167752',caption: true ,tld:'co.uk',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><br \/>\n<span class=\"s1\"><strong>3. \u00a0<\/strong><b>TV Ratings<\/b>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Seems cynical, but it\u2019s not. While tennis enjoys a\u00a0\u201cmoment\u201d with the re-emergence of Federer and Rafael Nadal, other sports are in crisis. Social media is drawing fans away from athletics and into their own virtual worlds. Many sports like the Olympics and soccer are mired in corruption. American football is seeing an erosion, in part due to a horrific and unfolding head-injury problem. Tennis has no such concern, and the\u00a0sooner the public fully comprehends its superiority in that regard, the more fans will be attracted to it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">But viewers won\u2019t fall in love with tennis if they don\u2019t watch it at its most beautiful. \u00a0Which is precisely what Federer displays. Tennis TV ratings are a mixed bag\u2014sometimes they\u2019re up, sometimes they\u2019re down, but there\u2019s no doubting Federer commands an audience. He must capitalize <i>now<\/i> while he\u2019s still playing. Yes, he&#8217;s the Golden Goose. Keep laying the eggs, baby, while you can. It\u2019s for\u00a0the long-term good of the sport.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"bhs-ZETtSchZPz-7-7AhqQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/861629862\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'bhs-ZETtSchZPz-7-7AhqQ',sig:'7CMKAOld1pqnQxi-sbH_SvRA0ziL-3AN3_tPLWz0S3s=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'861629862',caption: true ,tld:'co.uk',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>4. Roger Federer<\/strong><b>\u2019s only won it once, and Rafa went out early when he did<\/b>. \u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">20 is a big number, but as the song says, one is the\u00a0loneliest number that you\u2019ll ever see. It\u2019s a bit of an eyesore on the stat sheet, yes? (She says with tongue half in cheek.) Only that single French Open title in 2009. Why not add to the red clay tally? Consider this luscious thought: The prospect of meeting Roland Garros King, La Decima himself, Rafa Nadal in the final. Who wouldn\u2019t want a Rafa-Fed Final on clay? Those two guys certainly would!<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>5. \u00a0<\/strong><b>Nadal can be had<\/b>.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Boom.<\/strong> \u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Don\u2019t let Fed&#8217;s chill demeanor fool you. By his own admission, Roger is ragingly competitive. Nadal, the 10-time French Open Champion, was injured and fragile at the Australian Open a few weeks ago. If\u00a0Nadal\u2019s not at his best due to age, injury, fatigue\u2014whatever\u2014all the more reason for Federer to pounce. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"OFXWz_XpQMtn8V1vkj1uww\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/909155988\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'OFXWz_XpQMtn8V1vkj1uww',sig:'ce0DPfwg5j5M1bCD1Mp3oaoNCTdfwZa4n3zqNRJAPm8=',w:'594px',h:'430px',items:'909155988',caption: true ,tld:'co.uk',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><br \/>\nRoger,\u00a0 you&#8217;ve figured him out on the other surfaces, including 2017 in Oz. Figure him out on clay, and watch the world swoon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Look, nobody wants Federer to hurt himself. We all want him to keep playing for as long as he can. Proposal directly to Roger: \u00a0Skip Miami. It\u2019s a brutally hot hard-court tournament in midst of a transition. Start warming up gently on clay. Consider playing Monte Carlo, where you\u2019ve <i>never won<\/i> (what?) and perhaps throw a bone to a smaller clay court tournament like Munich or Geneva. Rev it up on the dirt, baby.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Probably no professional athlete in history has been better at managing his body and his schedule than Roger Federer. He must seize this perfect time to put those underrated, career-making skills to use by playing the French Open in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"gfUzopN4TCFsyIMFhgNJew\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/524347628\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'gfUzopN4TCFsyIMFhgNJew',sig:'I0KToJYh8Cr8zCXskuWFIfdqvynWDMxWDJcKFLnUFaY=',w:'594px',h:'394px',items:'524347628',caption: true ,tld:'co.uk',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Roger Federer must play the French Open.\u00a0You read that right.\u00a0Must. \u00a0 In the year 2018, the greatest player (dead or alive) to ever pick up a racquet has just won his 20th Grand Slam.\u00a0The planet passionately adores this man for his sportsmanship, philanthropy and overall good nature.\u00a0Even #NadalNation and #NoleTwitter respect Roger Federer. By all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2038,"featured_media":6639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,9],"tags":[18,205,2683,2475,204,2682,2685,2684,2680,135,114,896,2681,48],"class_list":["post-6616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-atp","category-french-open","category-news","tag-atp","tag-australian-open","tag-clay-court-tennis","tag-federer","tag-french-open","tag-french-open-2018","tag-goat","tag-monte-carlo-masters","tag-nadal","tag-rafael-nadal","tag-roger-federer","tag-roland-garros","tag-roland-garros-2018","tag-tennis"],"modified_by":"Yesh Ginsburg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2038"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6616\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}