Federer worked insanely hard. I’ve seen tape of workouts and practices. But in addition to being incredibly talented by a preternatural gift, he worked on his anticipation. It’s verifiable that he ran a shorter distance on court during a match than his opponents. On the one hand, a tennis player playing into his or her 40s was bound to happen, with a general awareness of nutrition and training improving and being utilized by most players.
A tragedy involving the death of a beloved coach was the catalyst for the development of Federer’s famous emotional control. If you don’t waste energy with emotional outbursts, you have a great chance to win at the highest level.
In fact, despite the fact that Novak Djokovic seems to be fueled by antipathy—for his own play, or a hostile crowd’s antipathy for him—Djokovic is actually a master at controlling his emotions on the court. (His infamous ejection from the US Open for whacking a ball that struck a ball person was a momentary lapse. Though myself not being a fan, the regrettable incident was part of a narrative that I don’t think is particularly fair.)
The old guys still won’t let Roger play on that tour until he’s pushing 60. He’s way too good, even now.
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