In a year when Roger Federer has gone from being a resurgent superstar to a fading legend, one wonders if the transition from contender to spent force is really that startling and sudden. While there is no doubt that his skills have diminished, and that he's on the downside of what has been one of the greatest careers in the history of the sport, it's difficult to accept that one of the biggest superstars ever is hurtling towards retirement. He himself has remained optimistic, believing that this is just a slump in form rather than the beginning of the end. But after the latest setback at the US Open 2013, it's difficult to foresee another run towards grand slam number 18, given how the game has changed, and how many younger and stronger opponents he would have to overcome to replicate his many championship runs. Critics and fans alike can see him announcing his retirement in the year ahead, and it's almost certain that if he doesn't contend on the second Sunday at the four 'slams in 2014, he might just call it a career.
An entire sport often depends on the success of a superstar. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have lifted tennis to heights unseen, and the former's retirement will likely dishearten millions of fans tuning in to see him add to his legend. Luckily for tennis fans, the latter is continuing to defy the odds by playing the best tennis of his life. That said, there will undoubtedly be a transition period after an icon such as Roger Federer chooses to retire, which leaves society craving role models and the sport looking for the next potential icon - never an easy feat.
Sponsors, fans, tournament organisers and, of course, fellow athletes stand to lose when an icon retires. In this case, there will be a sudden vacuum that no other tennis player will be able to fill in the next few years. Though Roger Federer has not contended at any of this year's grand slams, he remains the highest-earning and most popular tennis player by a huge margin. Perhaps he has a surprise or two in store; but with each passing month, the potential surprise is being redefined as a miracle.
Retirement for icons isn't as simple as one may think. A lot goes into an icon retiring, and we often come across superstars walking away from a sport prematurely, only to return when their skills have diminished to an extent where they risk eroding their own legacy. It's highly unlikely, however, that tennis' most gracious superstar will either overextend his tennis career or look back once he makes the decision to quit - whenever that may be. Similar in many ways is the situation we Indian fans face with respect to Sachin Tendulkar, and how and when he decides whether or not to continue playing. While the debate rages about his 200th test match, and how he will retire, he, like Roger Federer, doesn't see the hurry to do so. Perhaps this is because iconic greats are first and foremost students of their game. Each lives, breathes and feeds off of the sport he plays. This perhaps is the reason why retirement for such icons seems far-fetched today and overdue the next day.
Having spent nearly 80 per cent of their lives excelling at a sport that gives them purpose, adulation and career accomplishment, many great athletes miscalculate the time to retire. It affects not only their brand, but how society and culture view them. Retirement for icons is also based on the classic "what now" dilemma. Some have a natural knack for involvement with a sport as an administrator, coach or commentator, and for them the transition is easier. But for someone who has set the bar as a competitor and doesn't contemplate involvement beyond being a once-in-a-lifetime champion, the risk of stepping away is more than that of pushing oneself to the point where the end is a foregone conclusion.
The thing about greatness is that despite the diminished skills, the pride, the hunger, and the self-preservation remain intact. Their popularity grows, the brand expands, the legend becomes folklore, and then retirement no longer seems like a tunnel without light. Let's just allow the icons of our generation the right to choose when that time to retire comes. The chances are that they'll make the right decision.
The author is a sports attorney at J Sagar Associates. These views are his own.
He tweets at @dgcsekhri
He tweets at @dgcsekhri
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper
