"Your age is just a number. It should never hinder you from accomplishing your goals."
This is a quote we have heard multiple times and yet, we don't restrain ourselves from making judgments about our lives and even better, other's lives. Many critics have been vociferous in their opinion about whether Roger Federer should have retired or not at this stage of his life. Many people have already written him off and never leave a chance to downplay his game.
To them, I want to ask a simple question:
Since when have the so called critics started predicting the future of any player or person so correctly?
Just one year back, the same so called critics were finding it hard to believe that Rafael Nadal can even make a comeback after his injuries and now one year later, they are calling him perhaps the greatest player ever in tennis.
It is not only about tennis, if we look at any field, critics and people have always tried to downplay anyone in the society who has tried to defy the norms.
~ When a 75 year old man tried to complete the hottest ultra-marthon of the year, people didn't believe he will be able to do it.
~ When at the age of 38, Károly Takács tried to win the Olympics Gold Medal with his left hand ( as his right hand was badly injured), nobody believed he can do it.
~ When the first time, it was thought that two people can talk to each other sitting miles away from each other, it was considered out rightly impossible. And yet telephone was invented.
I can go on and on about examples of people defying the norms, going against what people/critics thought as irrational and still in the end coming out victorious and more satisfied in their goals. So people might go on and on about why Federer should retire and stand no chance, I believe the only person that should take this decision is Roger Federer himself and no one else.
The question that we need to ask ourselves is can future be really predicted? No, it can never be but what is more important is that people should follow their own passion and what they believe in. Even in your own lives, people will come and tell you that it is not possible and it is foolish to continue this path. More often than not, it is not about how many people think you can do it, in the end it is only you who is more than enough to make your dream become a reality.
The same is true with Roger Federer. It's his belief that matters at this stage. Why? Because
"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen."
This is what the great champion had to say in an interview when people inquired about his retirement ( courtesy a friend who pointed out this to me)
When i was starting my career, lot of people doubted me. THey saw the talent but werent sure if i will win any. But he believed in myself. I am almost in a similar place now but i believe that i can win and so i will keep playing and keep trying.
If Ken Rosewall could have won grand slams at an age of 35, 36 and 37, I see no reason why Roger Federer cannot go on and win his 18th Grand Slam at 32.
PS: Yes, people will talk about his failures and disappointments of past year as reasons for his retirement, in my next post, I will address this age old question as to why failures should never be considered as a sign to quit. Stay tuned:).