Roger Federer’s Wimbledon consistency shows how he has withstood the march of time

“I feel very privileged to be in another final. I can’t believe it’s almost true again”

Even if Federer’s statement after his win against Tomas Berdych in the Wimbledon semi-final on Friday came across as a touch self-deprecating, it was on expected lines. It is a result that has been in the making since he began the revival of his career this season, determinedly sweeping titles at the Australian Open, and in Indian Wells and Miami.

There again, aside from these title hauls, there’s also a sense of urgency surrounding Federer’s Wimbledon bid. Almost as if he wants to get through each round quicker, lest the momentum slips away.

Wimbledon and Federer

Federer’s win over Berdych will see him contest his 11th Wimbledon final on Sunday. It’s an incredible record on its own, but it also puts into context, the special relationship the Swiss maestro has had with Wimbledon across all these years.

Many would regard 2001 as the start of Federer’s successful tryst with Wimbledon. Countless others will regard his win over Mark Philippoussis in the final in 2003 as the beginning of his era of Wimbledon dominance.

But, in the truest of terms, Federer’s exploits at All England Club began in 1998 when he won the junior Wimbledon title in both singles and doubles. His aptitude and skill-set on the surface gave way to immediate excitement – this was a player to keep an eye on, a player who would be the future of tennis.

Looking back, his wins in 2001 and 2003 only brought these predictions to a head. The numerous twists and turns that Federer’s career has taken at Wimbledon puts his legacy in perspective, distinguishing him from his rivals.

The one Major to rule them all

Federer prepared for Wimbledon like never before. He even skipped the entire clay season despite the questions that raged around about the validity of his decision-making.

“Look, I never practiced this much on grass in my life,” Federer had said after one of his wins at the Gerry Weber Open. “I used to come here [in Halle] after Paris and sometimes play for one-and-a-half hours and then play my first-round match here. This year, I basically was on grass in the first week of the French Open. I’ve played so much on grass this week that honestly I’ve never been better prepared in terms of grass court tennis.”

In his last two rounds, the 35-year-old used this breezy self-assurance as a fallback, while elevating his game whenever he needed to. It prompted Berdych to remark in part-awe, “I don’t see anything that would indicate, really, Roger [Federer] is getting older or anything like that. If you look at the other guys who are 35-36, I think you can very clearly see that the age and the years on tour are affecting them. [So], I think he’s just proving his greatness in our sport.”

A legacy shaped by changing times

When the seven-time Wimbledon champion takes on Marin Cilic on Sunday, he will take another stab at enhancing this vaunted reputation of his. And this time, it will be against a rival who will be just as eager to take him on. The Croatian bore the brunt of Federer’s perseverance last year in the quarter-final, which saw the Swiss legend fight back from being three match points down to secure a nerve-wracking five-set win.

“I don’t want to say it’s more relaxed going into it because I have a good head-to-head record against Marin [Cilic], even though the matches were extremely close,” said Federer about playing against Cilic. “We had a brutal quarter-final last year here and he crushed me in straight sets at the US Open in 2014. I’m in for a tough one.”

There is a cautious assessment about Federer’s prospects, which has seen him alternate between self-belief and second-guessing himself in the recent past. It’s a far throw from the years when he came into every match, against every opponent with self-assurance that he would invariably get the win.

Across his vast timeline at Wimbledon, it’s this premise of Federer that is the most poignant. He is not just a player who has remained impervious to time, he is a champion who has shaped and redefined it.