Whenever Roger retires, it’s going to be a huge and sad event with great fanfare. In team sports like American baseball, teams often like having an older player around to act as a mentor for younger players to look up to.
Derek Jeter of the NY Yankees, got injured in 2013, and came back to play in 2014. He played good but not at the top of his game like in the past, and he retired at the end of the season at age 40 to a standing ovation with cheers and chants from fans at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, their arch rival for over 100 years.
It was a huge moment because he had done so much for the game. Did anyone say, “He should have retired 3 years ago while he was still in his prime.” No, it was “Thank you for the memories…”
Tennis doesn’t have teams, but players still feed off of each other. Is having Roger Federer around, even if he’s not playing at a #1 level good for tennis? Absolutely! Look at the stands when Roger plays. They’re filled to the max. At events like the US Open, the practice stands are completely full 2 hours before he comes out to practice.
Does a player need to go out on top? I don’t think so. It’s a fact that players skills diminish as they get older, and I think many fans and tournament leaders would be grateful to have Roger play, whether he’s #3, #10 or #1.
I think as long as he’s happy and having fun and his family is okay with him playing, he should continue to play. Whenever he does decide to call it quits, we’ll all be able to say, “Thank you for the memories.”
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