Roger Federer to retire at Laver Cup | Tennis,com

Federer’s genius began with the way he carried his body, from stance to movement. Like a ballerina, Federer appeared to glide more than trod, arriving at the point of contact with superb posture and balance. Such discipline and elegance yielded a spectrum of shot possibilities Federer deployed to befuddle opponents, delight spectators and even please himself. Speeds and spins, angles and power: all of it was at Federer’s command. He was as complete a player as tennis has ever seen.

Notably, Federer’s victims rarely felt bludgeoned. They were dissected, methodically and deftly shredded by everything from his pinpoint serve to whip-like forehand to a backhand he often sliced wickedly short—and then drove deep. No one in tennis history has possessed as many different point-winning combinations as Federer. That variety, and the smoothness with which it was executed, was a major factor for his popularity.

As the arc of Federer’s career shows, all of this genius didn’t instantly reveal itself. Over the course of more than 20 years, his game evolved, with subtle but significant shifts that allowed him to stay at least one step ahead of the bulk of his contemporaries.