Roger Federer not too long ago mirrored on the hardest defeats of his profession, revealing the one loss he nonetheless regrets probably the most and desires he might replay. Surprisingly, the match he singled out wasn’t in opposition to both of his long-time rivals, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.
Federer has formally been elected to the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame and might be inducted as a part of the Class of 2026 in Newport, Rhode Island, subsequent August. The announcement was made on Wednesday, 19 November. He earned the distinction in his first yr of eligibility, following a profession that featured 20 Grand Slam titles, 103 tour-level trophies, and an unbelievable 310 weeks as World No. 1, together with a file 237 weeks in a row.
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To mark the event, Federer sat down for an interview with the Swiss each day Tages-Anzeiger, the place he was requested which defeat nonetheless weighs on him probably the most. He revealed that the loss that continues to hassle him is his defeat to Juan Martín del Potro within the 2009 US Open ultimate, admitting he nonetheless needs that match had gone otherwise. Curiously, he added that his well-known Wimbledon ultimate loss to Nadal wasn’t the one which got here to thoughts.
“The 09 US Open ultimate in opposition to Del Potro. That was one of many matches I shouldn’t have misplaced. It broke my streak on the US Open. My streak additionally ended at Wimbledon 08. However it one way or the other needed to be that means. Rafa had deserved it a lot.”
Federer additionally dominated out his Wimbledon 2019 ultimate loss to Djokovic, saying:
“Funnily sufficient, that one didn’t hassle me for lengthy. I felt like: I’d performed an excellent match, disgrace I misplaced, and on we go. I analyzed it very matter-of-factly for myself. Within the following days I had the occasional flashback. However by no means once more after that.”
Why Roger Federer’s US Open 2009 loss stays one of the crucial heartbreaking moments of his profession
Roger Federer entered the 2009 US Open ultimate chasing historical past. He had already gained 5 straight titles in New York from 2004 to 2008, and a victory over Juan Martín del Potro would have given him an unprecedented sixth in a row within the Open Period. As a substitute, the match slipped from his grasp, with the Argentine rallying to win 3-6, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 and finish Federer’s streak one step in need of immortality.
The defeat stung much more as a result of 2009 had been a defining season for Federer. He lastly accomplished the profession Grand Slam at Roland Garros, reclaimed the World No. 1 rating, and broke Pete Sampras’ Main file at Wimbledon. Including one other US Open crown would have put a historic exclamation mark on the yr. As a substitute, it stays the one loss he nonetheless feels he let get away.
Edited by Pritha Ghosh
