Roger Federer warned his rivals not to write him off yet after a Wimbledon final defeat that left the Swiss star without a major title for three years.
Federer's bid for a first Grand Slam crown since he last won Wimbledon in 2012 was shattered by Novak Djokovic as the world number one clinched a 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (10/12), 6-4, 6-3 victory yesterday.
It was a huge blow for Federer, who had hoped to avenge last year's Wimbledon final loss against Djokovic by winning his favourite tournament for a record eighth time.
Federer has won only one of the last 22 Grand Slam events and, with the world number two turning 34 before the US Open starts in August, there will be many who believe his 10th Wimbledon final will prove to be his last chance to add to his 17 Grand Slam titles.
But the 33-year-old insists his dominant run to the final, which included a sublime semi-final rout of former champion Andy Murray, and a strong first two sets against Djokovic showed there is still plenty of life in him yet.
"I lost against the world No. 1 at the moment. That's the kind of guy you probably can lose against. I'm not going to accept it and say it's normal. It's not," Federer said.
"But I've beaten him a few times. I'm one of the few guys that's gotten a chance.
"I think I was able to show that on the court today, how close it really was. Even though at the end it might look routine, but I don't think that was the case.
"I'm right there. My game is good. I got broken very few times this tournament.
"I played on my terms. Things are all right. I still think I had a great tournament. You can have good tournaments without winning."
Falling just short at the tournament where he has reigned supreme for much of the last two decades was a bitter pill to swallow for Federer, but he conceded his years of success have insulated him against feeling down for long when he loses in a final.
"It's never fun losing. You walk away empty-handed. For me a finalist trophy is not the same. Everybody knows that," Federer said.
"But thankfully I've won here in the past, so it does not feel like I'm chasing anything.
