Roger Federer's retirement has shaken the sporting world and beyond. The Swiss is a tennis legend, an icon of world sport and an example in many ways. Although retirement was near, not playing for two years now, Federer surprised everyone a bit by announcing to officially hang up the racket with the Laver Cup 2022, an exhibition of which he is among the organizers. Is it possible to summarize everything we will regret about the Basel champion? I tried, sketching out a list of 50 things that will be missing after his retirement. I am sure, however, that Roger Federer is, was and will be much more.

The 50 things we will regret about Federer

1 – The Federer Moments, those shots in which he managed to solve a complicated situation with an apparently simple gesture, just for him. 2 – The absolute amazement in us spectators for one of his magical shots, that slight sensation that caresses the skin. 3 – The smug smile, often reassuring, on our lips following one of the "Federer Moments". 4 – The beauty of a human body moving on a tennis court. 5 – The cleaning of the shots, able to satisfy the personal need for aesthetics. 6 – The backhand in slice that died almost immediately after the bounce and made you whisper "but how the hell does he do … ". 7 – The effectiveness of the shots, because many have been beautiful, so beautiful and dominant no. 8 – The forced advance on the shots, that inhuman counter-bounce game was not the ping pong, which only Agassi, in a different way, showed us. 9 – The short ball with the cut back. 10 – Berdych's face when he suffered them… 11 – The liquid whipping of forehand. 12 – The smashes, on the fly and on the bounce, sublime example of coordination. 13 – The service movement, one of the best ever for effectiveness and variety. 14 – Aces in desperate moments, to cancel break balls or match points. 15 – The matches won with matchpoints in favor failed and against canceled, that swing of emotions that made the liver ache and then immediately … be born again. 16 – Lost matches with failed match points: it hurt, it still hurts, yet even those will be missing, that hope that immediately embraced you thinking with confidence about the next tournament (often Slam). 17 – The request for his Challenge, "Hawkeye", knowing how much he was the most formidable opponent for Roger (he almost never got it right). 18 – Our expression after seeing him miss the call of the Challenge ("and it seemed to you!"). 19 – Kindness on the pitch towards referees and opponents. 20 – The smile even in the saddest moments, which made it clear how important tennis was, but not everything. 21 – The genuine respect of colleagues towards him, reciprocated; even by those who were regularly mistreated in the field, see Berdych, Roddick, Wawrinka. 22 – The phrase "Game set match Federer". 23 – The exemplary fairness of a unique player, never retired in over 1,500 matches played and, from 18 years onwards, never over the top in behavior. 24 – The ovations of the audience on the field, standing to applaud for entire minutes: an exclusive. 25 – Find out which VIPs from the world of sport and entertainment were in the stands to see his matches. 26 – Go and peek at the Grand Slam boards just out, to understand how difficult the path to the final was. 27 – The wait for an important match, as if we had to take the field. 28 – Get up late at night to watch a match at the US Open or Australian Open. 29 – The wait to discover his outfits at Wimbledon, where over the years he has proposed sweaters, jackets, vests, all strictly white and branded RF. 30 – The wait to discover his outfits at the US Open, where we all hoped to see him dressed in black, because one more elegant than Federer in black on a tennis court has never been seen. 31 – Seeing him win in his Basel: few things were safer. 32 – Guess its annual programming, for many years safe as a nursery rhyme: Australian Open, Dubai, IW, Miami, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, Canada, Cincinnati, US Open, Basel, Shanghai, Bercy, Finals. 33 – The Fedals, the clashes with Nadal, the most fascinating rivalry, which has accompanied us for twenty years and marked some memorable matches. 34 – The matches with Djokovic, some legendary, very often in the decisive moments in favor of Novak, but always intense and dramatic. 35 – We will no longer have the Big 3 potentially together on the pitch, and this says it all: it is the beginning of the end of an unrepeatable era. 36 – The endless discussions about Goat, which will continue even if Nadal and Djokovic win more Grand Slams. Because for many it is not just a matter of bullets. 37 – The discussions about the strength of his opponents in the Grand Slam finals and those of his two great rivals: is Baghdatsis worth more than Puerta and Kevin Anderson? 38 – The boys and girls who see him play on TV will dream of being able to emulate him one day, approaching tennis. 39 – The boys and girls who see him play will choose, master permitting, to play the backhand with one hand. 40 – Media and television attention on tennis: it is above all thanks to him that this sport has entered another dimension, even on a commercial level. 41 – Read the articles that talked about his victories and defeats, imbued with poetry and emotional prose, as no other sportsman has managed to arouse. 42 – See great writers, artists and directors inspired by his sporting exploits. 43 – Sneak the phone under the PC with its game while we are working. As an enthusiast: we will do it anyway, but it will never be the same, because his victory sweetened the work. 44 – Mirka's worried look in the stands at crucial moments, with her hands on her face. 45 – The impassive gaze of Severin Luthi in the gallery. 46 – The encouragement of Ivan Ljubicic in the gallery. 47 – See his twins in the stands without ever knowing who was Myla Rose and who Charlene Riva, and who Lenny and who Leo … 48 – Winter skiing with Lindsay Vonn: probably there will still be, but they will no longer be accompanied by that fear that it could get hurt and compromise the beginning of the season. 49 – And above all, without Federer, we will lose some of our innocence. 50 – One might say we are a bit poorer, but no: without Federer we are all better, precisely because we have lived Federer.