I am stunned at Federer’s loss on many fronts. I know he is stunned and we will never know but I think that is why what happened happened. Read on below but in the meantime, the general public may never really know but let me say a few things and it is hard given I do think Fed is the GOAT. Millman was the fly in the ointment and all players should learn from this a couple of things.
First, ALWAYS try for EVERY BALL. Millman did, Fed did not which alone is mind numbing given his gazelle like speed and agility that every commentator inevitably mentions when watching Fed scramble from defense to offense. What this does is put in your opponent’s head “really, seriously, that guy/gal got to that ball again!!! What do I have to do to finish the off?” It does not matter if the Fed (or your opponent wins the point) but you must try for every ball as it puts this thought in their head and often causes them to over hit and miss later on. It may not happen in set 1 or 2 but maybe in a Tiebreak or somewhere down the road.
Second, You have to pay attention to patterns. Fed is the greatest but WHY IN THE WORLD did he hit 30+ drop shots in the first place (I, nor any commentator and I am sure more reading this that have played at an elite level have ever seen that by anyone at that level). But volume of droppers aside, more importantly, WHY IN THE WORLD did Fed NOT cover down the line! NEVER did he cover down the line and if you look at the footage again, every time he actually leaned away, toward cross court. Millman only went cross court one time when he chased down a dropper. Surely if we constantly coach pay attention to patterns, why are you doing that is helping you win and what is your opponent doing to you that is costing you points are always basic. Why did Fed not do the basics? The great game of tennis needs to know.
This brings me to the jaw dropping questions as to why all the above ever happened. WHY was Federer NUMB? Yes numb. He was unable to muster more than 1, yes only 1, fist pump and come on. The sign of great players, as Fed is, is they know when and how much to fire themselves up for moments. They know how to call up the adrenaline. Fed did none of that. He looked numb as I have only seen a few players my entire 30 plus years of coaching career at the elite college level or those of my players and others I follow that have played at the elite professional level.. I have only seen once or twice this type of numbness and the commensurate inability to process patterns leading to questionable decisions. It comes from a sense of doom, a sense of “Are you kidding me, I am playing so poorly I can loose to this player” type thinking. It is actually fear. And players freeze mentally and emotionally as if they do not care but they do. I have never seen Fed like this.
I am taking a wild stab at this but did Fed, after blowing a 40-15 lead to take the 3rd set and even the second where he had chances, did he have a thought of “If I lose this”…or “If I can’t beat him” …”how am I ever going to win another major?”
But here is something that I think is a huge legacy for us if Fed can do this. We will possibly never know (and Roger will be the GOAT in my mind anyway) but what we could all really learn from one of the greatest of all time (if you don’t think he is the GOAT) if he shared what went through his mind that entire match. What amazing things we could learn?
We could learn why he chose to drop shot? What does the greatest feel like or think when he hits sitter vollies, overheads, and approaches in the net. Shots he normally recovers from he did not. Why? THAT is invaluable for all of us mere tennis mortals. What did he feel? Was he numb? Why couldn’t he muster up the adrenaline we are accustomed to seeing on every commercial and in every match? Was there a point when he felt he shut down? If there was, the rest of tennis world would gain amazing insight to what the great one does and if he has similar thoughts then people will understand how brutal the scoring system and the game is mentally. That is, what we perceive as almost inexplicable is explicable. What seems like a person who has ice in his veins is normal then there is hope for others. And critically so, if we know what went on in Fed’s mind during the match, perhaps thousands of future great players can learn to counter that. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.
Fed is the GOAT in my mind and why I am stunned. I am hoping we can learn from what he is willing to share the greatest game on the planet be better for it.