Wow, people this is CODE RED time for Roger Federer. What the hell happened? I’m still processing the insanity, but for now I think this video sums up both Roger’s and his fans’ emotions quite well:
At least Roger excelled in something today – he’s obviously a world class racquet smasher!
And here is a photo of the aftermath as well. Poor racquet!
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Tags: ATP, Djokovic, Federer, Miami Open, Sony Ericsson Open, tennis
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what is happening to my roger?
It’s okay, lulu – I don’t think it can get much worse. . .right?
We fixed the backhand and lost the forehand?
The mental sh*t reached its top at the racket smash.. I wish this (finally!) wakes him up to change things, make some decisions, or train better??? Whatever..!
He Is stubborn indeed, i mean after all the things he has said lately I was expecting from that match at least a win! And next target is Clay.. oh and a baby to come! I’m about to set your ‘Surviving Federer’s Losses’ guide as a homepage!
Go Rogeeer!
Hey Nosuic! Thanks for reminding me about my own post. You’ll notice I updated it. . .
It was so funny watching him tossing the water bottles after he had finished with them….when was the last time you saw him smashing his racquet on the court? Never! As you said, code red. And I don’t know if the situation is going to improve with the new born baby since this kind of change normally would affect a player’s results on courts.
hmm, not good.
2005 against Rafa at this same tournament, actually! But your point still stands. Sigh.
“when was the last time you saw him smashing his racquet on the court?”
Something like a hundred times before 2003/2004…
Have we hit the low point yet? At the very least, Roger’s disdain for Novak Djokovic HAS to give him some motivation to avenge this loss. He might not mind losing to Murray and Nadal, but to a Nole!
Oh well, at least he got to the semis. I honestly wasn’t too sure he’d make it this far.
URGH! Where’s my tequila?
Sometimes, you have to hit rock bottom before starting back up again. Let’s hope this match is as low as he can go. He lost every shot that he has in this match and could not find a way to recover any of them. Maybe it will motivate him to make some changes. Meanwhile, I’d like a bit of that tequila.
Glug, glug!
Wow, that was weird. I don’t blame Roger for getting angry, most of the players do when things aren’t going the way they’d like. He was on top for so long and now he isn’t number one anymore, and was certainly not playing his best. It was odd seeing the racket brake but for me the weirdest thing about this video was the crowd’s reaction. They seem to really turn on him for that, and I don’t know,I found that a big shocking. I guess people didn’t exspect such behavior from him, but he is still human. But anyway, I’m glad Novak won, he certainly was the better player today! Good Job Novak!
Hi Courtney! I noticed that too – but I read somewhere that the crowd changed its tune and started cheering for him again after the changeover.
Couldn’t tell too much on t.v. – except that the crowd in general seemed pro-Roger with pockets of strong Serbian support.
I never get while people boo players getting emotional on court. I like to see it – and often it does help them play better.
i dont think I’ve seen him break a racket since 2004-ish..insanity..
i so agree with ik28, sometimes you do have to hit rock bottom before you can come back up again..look at Agassi, he hit complete rock bottom at one point, and even had to play in small qualifier tournaments..Agassi even lost in a qualifying tournament to a complete no name, if i remember right.
It’s good to hear the crowd got back on his side. Although I was rooting for Novak, I hate to hear when a crowd goes against a player for showing emotion on court. I can understand when it gets to a ridiculous amount, but Roger doesn’t lose his cool often. When Gonzalez broke his racket during one of his recent matches the crowd cheered, but this time they boo? People have higher standards when it comes to Roger but I think people need to realize he is still normal with real emotions just like everybody else. And boos only cause more problems for a players psyche, so I find it a little unfair BUT that is just my opinion.
I haven’t seen Roger play since the Open and the idea of the Suave One breaking a racket makes me worry, just because he’s always been so controlled. I agree with Courtney that “People have higher standards when it comes to Roger but I think people need to realize he is still normal with real emotions just like everybody else.”
(The Smasher and Curser himself, JMac, was on, of all things, Martha Stewart today, for some pasta cooking — raquette, of course — and to plug his Prostate Awareness thing. He was pretty rueful about how his kids can see him acting like a jerk on You Tube.)
Freakyfritters, thanks for reminding me about Andre’s crash and burn, and his return. Roger can do this!!!
Brilliant. I love it when player’s throw their raquets. A bit of emotion is good. This shows Roger still cares – after winning 13 slams and lord knows how many Master’s titles. That had been a long time coming – it’s good to see him getting frustrated, he cares. I have no doubt he will surpass Sampras’s record of 14 majors, but i think a bit of doubt’s creeping into Roger’s mentality. He doesn’t have his confidence of old.
Geez, those things are made out of titanium or some such material, aren’t they? Crushing a racket with a single blow! That’s an achievement.
Poor guy. Losing to a player he loathes and turning into his 16-yr-old self all in the same match. Scary.
He’ll bounce back. And anyway, it’s clear he wants to make it interesting for us from now on. There will now be a “Federer Headcase Watch” during every match.
I think Roger may be GOAT. But, in a perverse way, I’m rooting for Pete. (Scurrying away.) Some of you younger dudes and dudettes might remember the superb power of Pete’s game. Why are we all rooting for Rog (or someone else) to beat Pete?
Apart from the manly beauty thing. Everyone has Pete beat.
Interesting point, Alice! I think that most of Pete’s fans have transferred their affections over to Roger, so that’s why we want RF to meet or beat Pete! Hey, that would look good on a t-shirt!
Hey y’all. I do feel for him. We’ve all been frustrated. But when I get frustrated at work all I can do is throw a pen across the room. I’m not smashing my laptop, that’s for sure!
I agree, that Roger’s been held up to strange standards and that everyone has to realize that he’s human like everyone else. Which means he’s not going to be perfect and “classy” (I hate that word) all the time.
Are you really FF or just another wannabe?whatever!just wanna applaud Roger for that racquet smashing and water bottle throwing…it was really “classic”because he never let anybody be bored with him…win or lose he still stirs controversy left and right because wether we all accept it or not, if its the TMF we always bothered to stop look and listen.
Hi Sasha! Yeah, that’s me – for some reason my avatar switches back and forth between Rafa and Roger, which I agree is VERY confusing. Didn’t actually realize it was happening. Must put a stop to it somehow! All Roger, all the time.
between djokovic and Murray?Neither….Bohoooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAAH!…it should be a decent final, as long as Nole doesn’t “retire” from the match if he’s losing.
Scots wha hae!
I couldn’t agree more with your analysis.
That was such a nice tantrum that even SuperBrat John McEnroe is offering to be his coach:
http://www.nadalversusfederer.com/federer-smashes-racquet-john-mcenroe-new-coach/
Roger, Roger, Roger – where is this going?
i love himmm i feel so bad for him and he can do that every once in a while, he was bound to do it at some point.
Federer is a mental case. All is well hidden when the wins are piling up but the human side shines when things go badly. And they are going very badly for Roger lately. Mentally he has lost each and every match against Rafa and now Murray. The funny thing is if you read his sarcastic comments about Murray from the past he actually kept saying that Murray’s tastics need improving and that even though he lost to him he did not see Murray getting better. That was less than 2 years ago….Murray was 19 or 20 and already started beating the great Roger. I am not even talking about Rafa, that is just too painful to watch. No matter what the score after the 1st set Rafa is able to come back and win. Then there is Novak who just 2 years ago was ready to start beating up on Mr Federer. He beat him in Montreal then last year in Australian Open. Another 2 hand backhand guy who hits the ball really hard. The problem with Novak is his conditioning and also HIS own mental state. I think he shares the same dilemma as Roger in that he does not feel that Rafa and now Murray can be beaten. Roger also encounters problems with David Nalbandian. All of these guys have a very solid backhand, something Roger’s one hander just isn’t.
However the biggest problem is that Federer keeps the same approach going throughout the match. He simply does not adjust his strategy enough. While Murray and Nadal are absolute masters in this area, it represents the weakest part of Roger’s game.
I predicted Roger’s undoing last year at Rome when he was destroying Rafa in the first set. Then Rafa called injury at 1:5 and managed to win the 1st set 7:5. It was the strangest thing to watch ever…as if Roger was the one suffering from an injury. Then came the beating at French in the final against Rafa. I predicted then that Rafa would win Wimbledon and Roger US open. So far so good. At the same time I predicted a complete meltdown in 09′ and a retirement at the end of 09′. So far so good, retirement is coming up!!!!!!!!
If you were really spot-on on predicting these events, you should be putting money down!
I honestly doubt that Roger would retire. He’s almost there in terms of the history books.
I feel that Roger and the critics have put too much pressure in his own mind to becoming the Greatest of All Time, and trumping Sampras’s record.
It’s a wall that he’s mentally building, and keeps getting bigger. We all know what he’s capable of it, and that he can become the greatest tennis player of all time.
Like you said, its completely mental. He honestly needs to see a sports shrink, and also needs to remember to have fun with it, and forget about the records, the numbers, and making history.
If he did forget, the he would achieve all those things naturally.
Hi Jaromir!
I just don’t see Roger FEderer retiring. He loves the game too much and has too much pride. And there’s no way he’s not playing the Olympics in 2012 at Wimbledon. Even if he retired, he’d come ot of retirement for that!
I could see him doing a very long “injury” time out – kind of like Venus did a couple years ago. In fact, I think taking a break from the circuit a la the Williams sisters could make a world of difference for him. His game’s not the problem, like you said, it’s his head.
Side note: Isn’t it interesting that everyone on tour has problems with Nalbandian and yet he’s never won a Major? So disappointing.
Freakyfrites, I love the side note. Maestro Nalbandian on a given day can make anyone look out of place. I remember couple indoor tournaments at end of 2007 in europe (Madrid and Paris if I am not mistaken) Nalbandian took out Djokovic, Federer, Nadal in a row to win the first one and then followed it up by winning the next one by taking out these 3 guys again. And he did it so easily. He is quite the enigma also.
. Second I am a HUGE Fed fan but sometimes I guestion why that actually is. Sadly as many people in this world we love those extraordinary athletes which are the best, invincible and #1….maybe the best of all time in their respective field? I guess that explains why I love to watch Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Pete Sampras etc. So what is so great about Fed. First he is a fantastic player with all the skill. He makes a lot of it look easy, his play is elegant BUT I am no longer sold on him being that really nice guy. Frankly Nadal is a MUCH nicer person, way more down to earth. Even when Roger made it to the top and stopped smashing tennis rackets he always talked trash about other players. The media did not want to acknowledge that. He is a sarcastic person. I remember him telling Djokovic camp to shut up during a match, never giving his opponent his due for beating him, always talking about himself how badly he played. Always talking about himself, himself, history, himself. Poor Andy R is another guy who is so much nicer than Roger. I guess the measuring stick to Roger are not these 2 guys but former other #1 ranked player who were just the biggest assholes on the court; Connors, McEnroe, Lendl and compared to those Roger is a really nice guy.
First, I should have put some money down and I don’t disagree with that
Will he retire? Again nobody is thinking he will but I am.
Just my opinion of course and I am just someone who wastes a lot of time watching the game…I have no inside scoop at all. But when I watch Roger play against Rafa or Murray he looks lost and is NOT capable of changing up his style. They bully him around and he is not capable of changing up the tempo.
Hey there! You are obviously very knowledgeable about tennis and I love a spirited debate!
I too, remember that amazing Madrid/Paris double victory by Nalbandian. Crazy stuff! He’s like that gifted kid in school who fails most of his classes because he is bored. . .
I think you raise a really good question: WHY am I a Roger fan? I do think that it comes from habit – just like there are lifelong Cubs and Red Sox fans, regardless of how the team is doing during the particular season. Watching him dominate opponents and win slams in the past – those are some really happy memories for me, and they’ve made me a fan. And when he’s “on” he’s still my favorite player to watch. Last week’s Roddick match showed off his game beautifully and watching him dominate someone like Juan Martin del Potro at the Aussie was a thrill. He’s got a pure, perfect game – when it’s ON! It’s just not ON as often as it used to be.
I do like Roger as a person (as much as you can like someone you’ve never met), and I’m willing to admit that he isn’t perfect. I agree that Nadal seems to have a certain level of humbleness and empathy that Roger is lacking. Roger makes no apologies for being rich and famous and for feeling like he is the best. And he was the unqualified best for three years, so it could be hard to change his tune. The guy has ego, self-esteem, a chip on his shoulder – however you want to describe it.
But I disagree that Roger is not well-liked by the players – he wins the sportsmanship award over and over again – an honor that’s voted on by the players, themselves. Guys like Nadal, Blake, Ljubicic, and Roddick (Andy has his own issues with players, b.t.w. – namely Djokovic and Ljubicic and I remember him staring down Tsonga a couple Wimbledon’s ago) continually praise Roger as a person and for his behavior on and off the court.
Sure, Roger can say some arrogant or snide things to the press (personally, I prefer these statements to the boring old “I did my best but he was too good” junk) but that isn’t the full measure of what kind of person he is. I don’t know him, perhaps he is a jerk, but I think you have to look to his colleagues for the truth, and as a whole, they seem to love and respect him.
And him telling Novak’s obnoxious parents to shut up just made me love him more!
This week will be interesting; at least from a tennis perspective. How will the newly married Roger respond on clay in Monte Carlo? With his marriage behind him he can concentrate on his game.
After all here is a guy dating a girl for 9 years, he is rich beyond belief and after she finds out that a baby is on the way he marries her. So Roger did the right thing and Mirka will be happy.
So what’s next? Seppi is a good clay court player and Roger will be tested. I say it will go 3 sets but decision to Mr Racket Smasher
Hi Jaromir!
I find this fascinating – Roger doesn’t plan to play Monte Carlo and schedules his wedding appropriately. At the last minute, he decides to take the wildcard. Then he gets married. Then he and Mirka go to Monte Carlo, when they probably just want to relax. . .Just not quite understanding it all!
Knowing Mirka and her love of tennis, I wonder if she asked Roger to win Monte Carlo as a wedding present to her! Let’s hope she did. . .that might be the kind of coaching that works!
Ha ha, nice analysis and let’s hope you are right.
I don’t want to dwell on it but it took him 9 years and getting her pregnant to propose? Celebrities, go figure.
Yeah, I don’t think he will be that relaxed; actually quite the opposite.
This guy is just not right mentally.
Horrible choice of a tournament and poor Mirka lost a honeymoon opportunity.