Roger Federer wins his fifth PNB Paribas title at Indian Wells, equaling Djokovic’s record. Continuing on his winning streak at the incredible age of 35, he defeated friend and compatriot Stan Wawrinka in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday.
Two months after his age-defying 18th grand slam win in Australia, Roger Federer has done it again. The tennis legend achieved his 25th Masters 1000 title and his 90th ATP tour win. And he’s done all this at the incredible age of 35, besting everyone younger than him. Clearly, for the Swiss player, 35 is the new 25.
Where are the players in their 20’s? Federer was supposed to meet Australian sensation Nick Kyrgios in the semis, but the 21-year-old contracted food poisoning and didn’t even show up for the fight.
Where was Alexander Zverev, the 19-year-old, and only the other player in the top 20 who’s younger than 23? He was taken out by Kyrgios in the third round.
The big names went out early, with Andy Murray being ousted in another early shock by Canadian Vasek Pospisil. A lot of talks centered around the ‘draw of death,’ which had three of the Big Four competing in the same top-heavy quarter, including the world #2, Novak Djokovic, who didn’t even make it to the quarters. A five-time Indian Wells champion, a record he now shares with Federer, he suffered a loss at the hands of Kyrgios as well, adding to an increasingly disappointing season for the 30-year-old Serb.
The last man standing? 35-year-old Roger Federer, father of four, coming off an Australian Open win against his great rival, Rafael Nadal, with a new lethal backhand and inspired answers for everything. With a lopsided record against Nadal working against him, they said he wouldn’t be able to beat him in Australia? He was down in the fifth set. But the comeback king beat the “comeback king” to win five games in a row to claim his 18th slam.
They said the courts “favored” the Basel native? The courts were slower in the Palm Springs desert and he still beat the Spaniard, and then he did the same on Sunday against his rival and Davis Cup teammate, Stan Wawrinka. He did all that without dropping a set. He increased the FedEx ATP Head2Head margin, which now stands at 20-3 in the Swiss Maestro’s favor.
Not that it was going to be easy. Having played each other frequently, Stan Wawrinka knew Federer’s game. Although the ninth seed took charge in the first set with the aggressive style we’ve seen all week, the 31-year-old hit back at the beginning of the second set by breaking Fed early, leading 2-0. But an inspired Federer broke back to level up the set and broke “Stan the Man’s” serve to win at championship point with an aggressive volley winner.
“I would like to congratulate Roger,” said Wawrinka after the match, via ATP World Tour. “I lost a tough one against you, but when you played the final in Australia I was still your biggest fan. Anybody who knows tennis loves to watch you, so it’s always good to see you back at that level, hopefully for many years.”
Roger Federer is showing that anything is possible at this age. At the “young” age of 35, he has turned what used to be a liability stroke, his backhand, into yet another weapon in his arsenal. Playing like this, he’s showing that it’s very possible he can go for another five years. Who knows how many slams he could achieve in the next few years playing like this? It’s now very conceivable that becoming world #1 again is a possibility. Another grand slam would certainly get him closer. With today’s win, he’ll already climb up the ATP leaderboard by three more spots.
“It’s been just a fairytale week once again,” said Federer, via ATP World Tour, at the trophy presentation. “I’m still on the comeback. I hope my body is going to allow me to keep on playing. I was very sad when I couldn’t come here last year. Just being here is a beautiful feeling. It’s one of my favorite tournaments. I came here for the first time 17 years ago. So to be here again as the champion is an amazing feeling.”
With Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray continuing to put in a disappointing season—both pulling out of the next Masters 1000 event in Miami with elbow injuries—the tennis world is forever grateful that we have a legend like Federer who has clearly discovered the fountain of youth and just leaves everyone else in the dust.