A born winner, Roger Federer will die a magnificent loser.

Bold observation as night falls on one of the most prolific sports careers: the Swiss has won 103 titles – only Jimmy Connors does better – including 20 Grand Slams and 28 in Masters 1000 for 24 years of professional career .

But he also lost 54 singles finals, including 11 Grand Slams, had time to become the best player of all time and was ousted by his two best rivals.

Christopher Clarey, journalist and author of a biography of the Swiss champion, had ventured to say, long before us, that “his failures are indeed part of his legend.

In 2008, for example, he was humiliated by Rafael Nadal in the Roland-Garros final, he reminded

the Union

.

If we look at his career, among his three biggest matches, he lost two: at Wimbledon against Nadal, in 2008, then against Djokovic, still at Wimbledon, in 2019. That makes him more human, closer to people.

»


Just 10 years ago, Federer won his 16th Major.

Nadal was at 6. Djokovic at 1...



Since Australia 2010, it's:



Djokovic: 16


Nadal: 13


Federer: 4 https://t.co/nsKPojXc4I

— Laurent Vergne (@LaurentVergne) February 2, 2020

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Roland 2008, we remember, we were watching TV.

A butcher shop.

The Balois had not lasted two hours against the Spanish tank.

This will not prevent him from concluding that he had spent a good fortnight, that after all, he had to get there, in the final, even if it was to take the slap of his life.

Nor to party right after, just to forget.

No insult in this observation, only admiration.

There is a strength in getting up after so many failures, especially when it's against the same rival.

London night, Australian tears

A month later, Wimbledon 2008, quite the opposite of the previous final.

Kind of endless.

4:48 officially, 4:49 in reality, bloody delay in switching on this scoreboard which will deduct a minute from the time of Federer's holy life.

Five sets of bewilderment until the decisive twilight.

Breathtaking and breathtaking for the players and subjects of Her late Majesty Elizabeth II.

At the end of the match, viewers caused an impressive energy consumption peak of 1400 megawatts (the highest recorded in the year 2008 in the United Kingdom over five minutes) when turning on the lights.

No one thought to get up to turn on the light until Nadal finished finishing off the local deity.

A bit like in the cinema, finally, the light only comes back at the end of the film.

Roger Federer put this defeat a little on the account of a declining luminosity.

But it's just that he just blamed the pink sky for not having crowned him.

“It's very hard for me to lose like that, in somewhat special playing conditions.

But that's no excuse, and I think, winning when the light is fading like this, a bit like Pete versus Rafter [in 2000, Sampras won in four sets just before dark, for his seventh title], it makes the victory even more special.

It's something incredible.

I just wish I was on the safe side…”

The frustration will reach its climax at the beginning of 2009, in Australia.

Nadal played the equivalent of the 24 hours of Le Mans in the semis against Verdasco and will not cash a second marathon in two days.

You speak.

The Spaniard finishes Federer in five sets.

The time too many, the Swiss cries like a child.

How dare you do that?

Let's play the game again, someone give this man the joy he deserves.

"A defeat like that hurts a lot, it's hard," he said between two sniffles.

Especially when the final was as close as this or Wimbledon.

“Perhaps also the time when the former world number one took too much comfort in failure.

That evening, the gentleman gives way to the capricious Rodgeur, thief of light from a Rafa who no longer knows where to go.

An hour to recover from Wimbledon 2019

Writing the hagiography of a champion often comes down to extolling a certain aversion to defeat, the kryptonite of these demi-gods whom glory alone cannot satisfy.

We won't go so far as to say that Federer likes to lose, but of all athletes of his caliber, he is perhaps the one who has learned to live with it the best.

Wimbledon 2019, final.

The Swiss ages like a good wine, but it shouldn't take too long to serve.

That's good, he offers himself two match points in the fifth round of his favorite tournament.

On his serve, too.

A player who weighs 12,000 aces – not hyperbole – cannot miss this opportunity.

And yet, Rodgeur will bow.

Sad, but nothing more.

"Now I only need half an hour to recover from a defeat, maybe an hour if it's the Wimbledon final," he joked in an interview with

Numéro Homme magazine.

.

Fans have been telling me about this defeat for weeks on the web.

And still today, it happens.

I'm like, 'What, are they still thinking about it?'

But I understand.

“In his tribute message to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga broadcast on the Philippe Chatrier, during the last Roland-Garros, the Basel had nice words for one of the very many French people to have beaten him (even Jérémy Chardy) , a politeness that Nadal or Djokovic never had.

“I'm happy to have played and lost against you.

“Roger Federer rubbed shoulders with defeat so much that he ended up emptying it of its substance.

What if that was his greatest victory?

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