TENNIS SPECIAL ....THE DOUBLE FAULT OF ROGER FEDERER

THE DOUBLE FAULT OF ROGER FEDERER

According to a leading tennis analysis firm, the 37-year-old is pretty much perfect when it comes to 15 key skills, but has two glaring weaknesses

Roger Federer’s loss to 20-yearold Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round at the Australian Open may cost the tennis champion his World No.3 ranking.

While Federer is the most “technically sound” athlete in tennis, at 37, there are some glaring weaknesses in his game, according to leading sports analysis firm Game Insight Group (GIG).

He was recently heralded as the “greatest of all time” by the former world number one women’s player Serena Williams and is a player who has set many “unbeatable” records, so it seems natural that GIG attempted to isolate the skills that have made him the player he is today.

The group analysed Federer’s “player DNA” by focusing on four key skill areas in tennis — technical, tactical, mental, and physical. Within these, Federer has finelytuned 15 tennis skills that are borderline perfect.

‘Federer’s greatest strength is his mind’

Technically speaking, Federer “rates number one in the men’s game,” according to GIG, because of the potency of his first serve. His forehand is also regarded as the third best in the world.

The Swiss plays second fiddle only to Rafael Nadal when it comes to oncourt tactics as Federer’s “ability to weigh up risk versus reward when looking to attack, as well as his ability to withstand opponents in long rallies” make him highly impactful during matches.

His mentality, particularly during high-stakes moments, cannot be overlooked. “Federer’s greatest strength is his mind,” GIG stated. “If you win as often — and for as long — as Federer has, it’s pretty clear that you can hold your nerve when it counts.”

Federer’s excellence does not end there. He ranks highly when it comes to agility, repeated sprints, and match endurance when compared against all other male players.

But not all of his physical attributes are still on point.

Not even Federer is perfect

Federer’s overall physical ‘DNA’ is let down by poor acceleration, which GIG rates as 35/100, and inferior foot speed, rated as 21/100.

And the reason for this is clear — he is 37 years old and is a slower athlete than he was when he won his first major 16 years ago.

Regardless, he compensates for this declining prowess with near-perfect scores in many other areas. Combined, this still makes him one of the best tennis players.

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