A week ago, Roger Federer turned 40. Like so many milestones in his career, this is cause for historical reflection. The suave Swiss star owns 20 Major titles, a record he shares with his two greatest rivals: 35-year-old Rafael Nadal of Spain and 34-year-old Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Time has taken its toll on Federer, however, who has missed much of recent years due to injuries. His recovery from knee surgery in 2020 has been plagued by setbacks, causing him to miss the Tokyo Olympics. With the final Major of the year, the US Open, starting on August 30, Federer said his participation "is still a bit uncertain." From the looks of things, however, his reflexes and coordination are as sharp as ever. Yesterday, Federer posted a video of himself on Instagram, in which he can be seen practicing table tennis on a custom hardwood table, one half folded vertically in practice mode. "Back at it, playing table tennis with my friends," Federer self-deprecatingly wrote, punctuated by a "laughing so hard I'm crying" emoji. In the clip, Federer displayed his characteristic combination of high skill and low stress. For nearly a minute, Federer effortlessly segued between various forehand exercises at a variety of lengths, finishing with a vintage forehand winner. As American tennis player John Isner wrote, "Forest [sic] Gump has nothing on the GOAT." Coming from the 6'10" Isner, that is high praise indeed. While it seems inevitable that one of his younger rivals will claim the all-time lead in Majors won, Federer holds the advantage in the court of public opinion. Fellow all-time great John McEnroe described Federer's forehand as "the greatest shot in our sport," and David Foster Wallace described it as "a great liquid whip." Federer's alchemic admixture of athletics and aesthetics has earned him the consensus "G.O.A.T." (Greatest Of All Time) title, regardless of the final numbers. In this regard, Federer could be likened to table tennis icon Jan-Ove Waldner of Sweden. Both possessed a grace and creativity which will prove to be their enduring legacies, even when the likes of Novak Djokovic and Ma Long amass more Grand Slam titles. Although his younger rivals may already be practicing their speeches for when they claim their 21st Major title, thanking him for pushing them to work harder and other platitudes, Roger Federer has yet to willingly abdicate. In fact, based on his recent display of athletic acumen (and possible preview of a second sporting career), it seems clear the GOAT is not out to pasture just yet.

More at Tennis.com