A Sporting Gripe

There's a line in Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, "You wake up, and that's enough." Given the tone of the novel, it's easy to read this as cynical: great, I didn't kill myself last night. Yet the book is strangely hopeful. In the introduction, Palahniuk says that many have thanked him for inspiring them to go back to school. They were inspired by the scene in which a character holds a gun to another man's head and threatens to kill him if he doesn't follow his dream of being a vet. At the heart of the quotation is the idea that sometimes getting to live is enough. It's the 'life is a gift' outlook--a pretty healthy worldview, if you ask me. And one Roger Federer endorses.

The Swiss said in an interview:

"Sometimes you're just happy playing. Some people, some media unfortunately don't understand that it's okay just to play tennis and enjoy it. They always think you have to win everything, it always needs to be a success story, and if it's not obviously what is the point. Maybe you have to go back and think, Why have I started playing tennis?  Because I just like it.  It's actually sort of a dream hobby that became somewhat of a job.  Some people just don't get that ever.”

The media and many others presumed that failing to win titles at the breakneck pace he used to would diminish Federer's love of the game. That's not the case, though it is a fair assumption. Many athletes love winning more than sport--and that's not to say that they don't love sport immensely. But Federer's response embodies what sets him apart from a typical (if such a thing exists) professional athlete. It also frees him from the unasked for pity that has been thrust upon him. He may be in the declining phase of his career, but the ability to compete is enjoyable in itself. 

The fortunes of athletes are viewed with a very one-dimensional gaze. To assume that a dry spell necessitates unhappiness diminishes the sheer joy of being able to do something you love for a living. As Federer has thoughtfully reminded us, just playing can be enough. Federer does concede that he might feel different if he weren't playing on center court consistently. Pete Sampras noted how demoralizing it was to be assigned to the graveyard court later in his career. The visible demotion was shattering. But again, he is someone who placed a much higher premium on winning than Federer. 

We lament the decline of great athletes' careers. And we pity them for being less than they were. Yet we are so eager to declare the end of their prime that it impedes our ability to appreciate it. When you're constantly on the lookout for signs of decline you will find them. As Caesar said in the Gallic Wars, "men are generally ready to believe what they want to believe."Perhaps we eulogize athletes so totally because we believe such skill is akin to art. We want desperately for athletes to last in the same way we desire beauty to last, though it is by nature short-lived.

John McEnroe once said, "Connors loved to fight, Sampras loved to win; Federer just loves to play," While there is nothing fundamentally superior about Federer's mindset over Sampras' or Connors', for those of us who love the game, we embrace professionals who feel likewise. Sport purists would like to believe that athletes compete for the love of the game and love of competition rather than prize money or the high of winning. Federer embodies such an ideal. Granted, it's easier for Federer to happily lose and enjoy playing given his achievements, certain legacy, living legend status and money in the bank. Even so, his sincerity is hard to question. 

Sampras was an incredible champion, but he didn't play with the same joy as Federer. The pleasure the 17-time Grand Slam champion gets out of playing is evident in his performances. Like a passionate musician or actor, Roger's emotion shines through his work. Fans love to see players celebrate, pump their fists and urge themselves on. The commentators always note when Roger says "c'mon" to himself during a match because the exclamation is an indication that he's thoroughly invested in the match. He often yells it when he is coming back from being down a set. 

Federer's quotation underscores his suitability as tennis' foremost ambassador. He may not be in the prime of his career anymore, but he can still compete at the very top. While Federer may have slipped considerably regarding his own unprecedentedly high standards, he has barely slipped in world standing. At 33, being ranked no. 2 in the world is hardly anything to be ashamed of. The fact that Federer was compelled to express the idea that being able to compete is enough speaks to the bizarre assumption that he cannot derive happiness from the push and pull of struggle and victory that is sport. 

Federer's reign has been so long that there is a tendency to think that success has come easily to him. That's not the reality. Federer struggled with his temper as a junior. His coach and close friend Peter Carter died tragically. When he turned pro, Federer was expected to be successful immediately but his wide array of weapons hindered the beginning of his career. And then there was his failure to capture the title at Roland Garros. With Federer you have to consider "challenges" and "obstacles" in terms of the caliber of his ability. You wouldn't consider failing to win the French Open a devastating event in a less talented player's life. That being said, the Swiss is no stranger to hardship. 

It should go without saying that you don't have to shatter records to enjoy playing. The numerous rec and USTA leagues across the nation are a testament to this. But we assume that to win virtually unrivaled and then to win only some of the time would be mentally devastating. For some it may be. But Roger reminds us that we should always be able to love sport in the way we loved it when we first fell in love. The freedom to win and the freedom to lose are enough.