Getting used to Wimbledon without Roger Federer

Roger Federer cut a forlorn figure as defeat loomed large. This was his first defeat to player ranked outside the top 100 since 2002. (Getty Images)

Stakhovsky now goes on to face Jurgen Melzer in the third round, where he will try to build on this career-defining victory and avoid the fate suffered by Steve Darcis. Where does Federer go from here?

In his post-match press conference he stated in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t thinking of retirement, and asserted that he was going to use his time off to work towards coming back stronger. Federer also said that he didn’t think he’s been playing all that badly this year, and that he still had time to turn this into a successful season.

The latter comment will no doubt raise an eyebrow or two, and may even prompt some to call Federer delusional. But is Federer the one who’s delusional?

The past three years or so have seen Federer struggle mightily against all kinds of opponents – grinders, big hitters, and now, serve-n-volleyers. The writing’s been on the wall for a while now, but we’ve been too enamoured by his sporadic bursts of artistry to notice that.

Federer’s play is in terminal decline, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

He’s not consistent enough to stay with his opponents on the slower claycourts, not quick enough to deal with the unpredictable bounces on grasscourts, and not strong enough to outhit the powerful baseline huggers on the medium-paced hardcourts. Not on the ridiculously consistent basis that we were all accustomed to, anyway.

So it’s just as well that we’ve now been given the most telling sign that was needed to shake us out of our stupor and recognise Federer’s inevitable downslide: the quarterfinal streak getting shattered at the hands of a rank outsider, and that too at Wimbledon, the place where it all started.

We know now that he can’t keep reaching the latter stages of Majors with his eyes closed; we know now that he is human.

As you scan the Wimbledon schedule in the coming days, it will probably hit you just as hard as it hit me today morning: the granddaddy of the Slams just doesn’t feel the same without Federer in the mix. Should we quietly try and get used to this ‘different’ Wimbledon, or should we take this moment to loudly bemoan the fading of one of the brightest lights to have ever shone upon the hallowed greens of London?

Whatever we decide, his fans will always have the memories of Federer’s glorious triumphs at Wimbledon over the past decade to look back fondly on.

If Federer always had Wimbledon, his fans, and the tennis world in general, will always have it too.