Chapter 3 Introduction: No one expected it to be him

As the saying goes, "Three years old, three years old", this is perhaps more suitable for tennis than any other sport.There are huge numbers of ambitious and talented teenage players around the world who hope to one day reach the top of tennis, but the true champions always outshine those around them at an early age. Like, I'll never forget the day at Wimbledon in 1984 when my German counterpart, Klaus-Peter Witt - known as "KP" - rushed to Me, grab me and drag me out of the noisy press center. "We've found him! We've found him!" he yelled. "The red bombs are here at last!"

KP led me through the crowded northeast corner of the All England Club to Court 13, where a huge commotion seemed to be brewing; people stood on tiptoe and craned their necks to look into the field.A red-haired, blue-eyed 16-year-old was sweeping his American opponent, Blaine Willenborg, 6-0, 6-0, and British reporters frantically looked up the Profile of a player who won a clean set at Wimbledon.But the teenager spared them that job, dropping four games in the third set. This guy is a godsend like no other, he beats the tennis ball with his brutal serve and baseline shots, and his name is Boris Becker.Speaking of Becker, his former German coach, Klaus Hofsaess, said, "He would eat a mouse if he could improve his forehand." KP was excited.Becker, who qualified from the Wimbledon singles qualifier, went on to defeat Nigerian player Odizor in the second round of the main draw.Becker faced American Bill Scanlon in his third round on Court 2, known as the Graveyard of Champions, but Becker fell and sprained himself in the fourth set ankle.He was carried off the court on a stretcher because of a severe ligament strain.

That evening, KP and I asked Becker's coach, Gunther Bosh, in the bar of the Glochester Hotel, how his boy was doing.Bosh took the initiative to hand us the room key and said, "You should ask him yourself!" We expected to see a frustrated young man after being eliminated, but Becker was lying in bed watching TV, paying no attention to the thick bandages wrapped around his legs.We couldn't see any complaints or displeasure from him, "Look! That's me, that's me!" he shouted excitedly, pointing to the highlight of the day's game on the TV screen. KP and I looked at each other knowingly, and we both understood that if the German didn't succeed, who would?

The following year, Becker won the Wimbledon men's singles title at the age of 17, becoming the youngest player in history to win the title. Like Becker, most great players seem to come out of nowhere like a thunderbolt...Great female players often break through at a much younger age. Sheen was only 12. Gies participated in the French Open Junior Women's Tournament for players under 18 years old. It is no exaggeration to say that players, coaches, media and fans lined up to see this talent when Hingis won the championship. And when receiving the trophies and flowers on Court 2, the most famous American tennis commentator, Bud Collins, who always wears bright trousers and is the tennis columnist of the Boston Globe, is sitting on the court. side. "Hey, Stauffer," he yelled at me from across the audience, "here's your 'long-term meal ticket' for the next 20 years!"

Roger Federer, however, had a completely different trajectory.Despite early recognition of his talent, he was never seen as a possible future king of the program.Many of those who knew him from childhood are still amazed by his growth and development. "I never thought he'd be number one in the world, he's not superhuman, he's just another player like everyone else." Dany Schnyder, one of Federer's main competitors as a teenager Said; Federer's childhood partner, professional player from Zurich Michael Lammer (Michael Lammer) also said: "When he is fifteen or sixteen years old, you will realize that he is talented, but it is not until he is 17 years old that he becomes the world's No. Only then do you feel confident that he really has what it takes to be a top player."

Nobody expected Roger Federer to be this great, not even in Switzerland.When he first stepped into tennis, he was overshadowed by the success of Hingis, who was becoming a major force in women's tennis; when he became the best junior player in the world, Hingis was 312 days younger than him. At the peak of her career again, she won three of the four Grand Slam titles in 1997 and dominated center stage, especially in Switzerland.Why should people pay attention to Federer, a teenage player with talent and an uncertain future, when Switzerland already has the current No. 1 women's player in the world?

Even in Switzerland, Federer is rarely talked about as a future world number one.In a country where alpine skiing is very popular, people are always wary of having "high" expectations.The outlandish idea of ​​a new Boris Becker or Pete Sampras already rising between Lake Geneva and Lake Constance hardly ever crossed anyone's mind.However, this is not a bad thing for young players.Federer, by contrast, was able to grow up quietly without the pressure of his parents and the enormous expectations of the public. However, after all, Federer still grew up in a country with more influence in professional tennis.As one of the ATP's most important indoor events, the Swiss Indoors is held within walking distance of Federer's ancestral home on the outskirts of Basel.Roger's mother, Lynette, was an active participant in the organization of the event, and Roger himself was a caddy for the event in 1994, and at the age of 13 he even had an affair with Jimmy Connors Had a photoshoot.In addition, Switzerland has also produced famous players such as Gunterhard and Rosset.

Although Federer did not grow up in a country with a great tennis tradition, Switzerland is not a barren place for tennis.Because of this, Federer believed early on that there was no reason why a Swiss couldn't reach the highest altitude in the tennis world.