Resilient Roger

In an excruciatingly long Wimbledon men’s final that lasted nearly five hours -- a new record -- Novak Djokovic edged Roger Federer in an exhausting five set match that, for lack of a better way of describing the heart-pounding, nail-biting experience, went into triple overtime. I’m still tired from the experience.

The Joker prevailed over Resilient Roger in five sets, 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3), in a heavyweight championship men’s tennis match for the ages. While Federer was on the short end of the decision in the end, he nonetheless battled relentlessly in an epic donnybrook that lasted four hours, 57 minutes.

Federer, of course, reigns supreme in the men’s tennis world, with 20 Grand Slam championships. Djokovic, along with Rafael Nadal, another great champion, are not far behind with 18 Grand Slam titles each. Whatever happens, Resilient Roger, who turns 38 this month, will always be “The Greatest” in my book.

I’m not the only one with those sentiments. Federer is a Swiss national hero loved worldwide. At the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, he was a featured figure, to be sure. He had more exhibit space than Jean-Luc Goddard, Huldrych Zwingli and William Tell, and finished in first place along with Albert Einstein.

Everyone loves Roger. What's not to like? He speaks eight languages, he’s funny, charming and humble, consistent and resilient, gracious in victory and defeat, can cry without shame, and is a model family man with two sets of twins (Myla and Charlene, and Lenny and Leo) with his wife, Mirka, a former tennis player.

I will always be a Fedhead. What makes Resilient Roger so durable is his ability to turn the page. He’s very good, of course, but he also excels at pushing forward. Both are part of his superpowers. He is fit and motivated, as witnessed by his charge to the Wimbledon finals, and is a tennis legend among mere mortals. Always will be.