As Roger Federer enters the twilight of his career, let's stop burdening him with expectations

Great sportsmen give us memories that last a lifetime. They possess certain qualities which set them apart from the rest and put them on a different pedestal that others cannot fathom.

But while there may be many extremely talented sportsmen, geniuses are hard to find. "Doing easily what others find difficult to do, is talent; doing what is impossible for talent, is genius,” wrote the great poet Henri Frederic Amiel.

And that is why a certain Roger Federer will, in the eyes of many, be held in higher regard than any other tennis player. There have been great contemporary players like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray (to name a few), but there is something that sets Federer apart from the rest.

Yes, Federer is the owner of many records in tennis, the winner of a record 20 Grand Slam titles, but sport is way beyond just numbers. There are some intangibles in sport that make it so riveting to watch.

The simplistic beauty in Federer’s tennis holds you captive - his effortless drop shot makes you gape, his one-handed backhand down the line makes you crave for more - his game is poetry in motion. And that is precisely why the Federer persona spreads its wings way beyond the numbers that statisticians love to dish out.

Do you remember the year 2003 when Federer won his first Grand Slam title? He was just 22 at that time, and after he won it, you could see tears run down his cheeks, the unbridled joy evident on his face. He was like a little child who had just got his first toy; the enthusiasm and passion told you that nothing could make Federer more happy than a game of tennis.

And did you how see 15 years later, at the 2018 Australian Open when Federer beat Marin Cilic to win his 20th Grand Slam title, he lost control of his emotions again? You could see tears streaming down his cheeks again; he had become the little boy once more.

Between the first and the last, he has taken you along with him throughout the journey; when he won you celebrated, and when he lost you were plunged into despair. It is hard to imagine any other tennis player who can trigger the same kind of emotional valence with the public for such a long period of time as Federer has done in his illustrious career.

Do you remember that US Open final in 2005 when Federer showed the legendary Andre Agassi his complete repertoire of shots and beat the great man in four sets?

Or that Wimbledon final in 2008, when Federer and his Rafael Nadal took you on a complete roller-coaster ride? When Federer came back from two sets down to take the match into the fifth set and flirted with greatness before finally going down to his great rival? Federer cried, and you might have shed a tear too.

Or that Wimbledon final in 2009 against Andy Roddick, where the Swiss Maestro and the American rallied back and forth before Federer finally overcame the booming Roddick serve? Or those countless French Open finals when the great man repeatedly got pummeled by the greatest clay court player of all time, before finally tasting success against Robin Soderling? Or those years between his 17th and 18th Grand Slam titles when Federer showed you his human side, showed you that he too is mortal?

And then, the 2017 Australian Open - the second wind for the legend. He had dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since entering it more than a decade ago, had undergone a knee surgery coming into the tournament, and lesser mortals had begun to fancy their chances against him.

But he rallied to beat them all, and in the final, for the first time in more than eight years, two of the greatest tennis players of all time set up a showdown that will be talked about for ages. Federer and Nadal enthralled us for over 3 hours, the final chapter in their rivalry as riveting and captivating as ever.

There was that 26-shot rally in that match, when Federer made everyone's jaw drop in amazement at just how great a player he is. Moments like those come only when a genius is at work, and when Federer ended the rally with a magical forehand down the line, it left Nadal wide-eyed; perhaps even he would have secretly admired that unbelievable winner from the Swiss maestro's wand.

There was a difference in Federer when he played in this match. It was an unburdened Federer - the expectations had died down a bit (he had not won a Grand Slam in the previous four years) and people were slowly starting to think it would be wise to look beyond him, and that allowed Federer to be free. And when genius is set free, it can mesmerize you.

When Federer won the match, he cried again - the king had just returned to his throne after a long gap, and it was time to celebrate.

He is 37 now, and Father Time is raising its ugly head. Mortality is a very messy thing to deal with - especially in sport. Federer has created this illusion of timelessness with the way he has played, but he can’t keep doing it forever. There is probably just another year or two left in his career - one in which he has given his vast legion of fans great joy.

Now, as the great master enters the twilight zone, let us not expect too much from him; let us not burden him any more. Maybe, just maybe, the little boy in him will come out again, and in the process he can give us a few more occasions where we can gape at him.