When a 20 year old plays tennis against a 35 year old, the common misconception is that the younger player will win most of the points. In the sport of tennis where being in the late thirties age range is considered old, the younger player is thought to have more stamina, a youthful spirit and energy, and quick recovery time compared to the older athlete. However, this number is increasing due to the increasing amount of older, gland slam winning players managing to pull out wins against younger players in the game. Though many people believe that age hinders an athlete’s success in tennis, Roger Federer’s story proves that staying mentally strong and playing smart can lead to success at an older age.

After winning his first grand slam title at the 2003 Wimbledon match against Mark Philippoussis, Roger Federer gave the world the wonderful gift of witnessing phenomenal tennis throughout his years of winning twenty grand slams. As a young player, he was known for his speed on the court, his one handed backhand, and his finesse while occasionally showing off with trick shots. He looked effortless while hitting shots, and was a symbol of youthful energy and spirit, contrasting with older generation players like Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras who were longtime veterans of the sport.

As a child, I remember watching highlights of Roger Federer winning the US open five consecutive times since 2004. By the time 2009 came around, I was expecting Federer to claim another victory at the US Open. To my discontent and millions of fans around the world, Federer lost to Juan Martin Del Potro, a twenty year old from Argentina who was seven years younger than him. Not many had heard of Del Potro and it came as a surprise that this young Argentinian underdog was able to beat the highly accomplished Roger Federer. Knowing that the fault definitely did not lie in Federer’s skill, the public began to assume that this loss was due to his older age. This idea was further exemplified as throughout the next seven years, Federer only managed to win four other grand slams. He was beaten by younger, tougher competition like Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in the semifinals and finals.

For a while, people believed that Federer was nearing the end of his career, especially when he underwent knee surgery and did not play for half a year during the 2016 season. When it seemed like all hope was lost, Federer surprised the world when he easily beat his younger opponents in all of the rounds of the 2016 Australian Open, making it hard to believe he was a  35 year old. He ended up winning in the finals against his longtime rival, Rafael Nadal. Federer went on to win the 2017 Wimbledon and the 2018 Australian Open. Many people began to look for what Federer was doing differently to look so effortless while beating twenty year old players. This “trick” happened to be playing smarter, by improving the accuracy and placement of his shots to accommodate his growing age, and decreasing ability to be swift on the court. By using his many years of experience to stay mentally strong throughout each game and learning to take advantage of the skills of accuracy that he already had and improve them, he was able to win games even with decreased agility.

We need players like Federer who keep the sport fresh and new and inspire others to keep on playing the game regardless of age. If someone is passionate about something, they will not dwell over what they do not have, but rather nurture and appreciate the skills they already possess and take advantage of them. In the end, age does not define one’s abilities.