Roger Federer has 15 near-perfect qualities but 2 glaring weaknesses, according to a tennis research group
- Roger Federer is pretty much perfect when it comes to 15 key skills, according to a leading tennis analysis firm.
- But the 37-year-old veteran also has two glaring weaknesses.
- Federer is cruising through the 2019 Australian Open, a tournament he is hoping to win for a record seventh time.
- Regardless of his age, he is one of the competition's favorites because of incredible skill ratings in departments like killer instinct, rally craft, and serve.
Roger Federer is the most "technically sound" athlete in tennis but, at 37, there are two glaring weaknesses in his game, according to leading sports analysis firm Game Insight Group (GIG).
Federer is currently competing in this month's Australian Open, a tournament he has won six times already, and will be hoping to go all the way and claim a record seventh at the competition's final in Melbourne on Sunday, January 27.
He was recently heralded as the "greatest of all time" by the former world number one women's player Serena Williams, and is a player who has set many "unbeatable" records, so it seems natural that GIG attempted to isolate the skills that have made him the player he is today.
GIG analysed Federer's "player DNA" by focusing on four key skill areas in tennis - technical, tactical, mental, and physical. Within these, Federer has finely-tuned 15 tennis skills that are borderline perfect.
Here they are:
- Technical
- Backhand = 92/100
- Serve = 93/100
- Forehand = 94/100
- Tactical
- Court control = 91/100
- Time control = 92/100
- Wide defence = 94/100
- Rally craft = 95/100
- Attacking balance = 98/100
- Mental
- Grit = 92/100
- Clutch = 98/100
- Winning edge = 98/100
- Killer instinct = 99/100
- Physical
- Repeated sprints = 93/100
- Match endurance = 93/100
- Agility = 99/100
'Federer's greatest strength is his mind'
Technically speaking, Federer "rates number one in the men's game," according to GIG, because of the potency of his first serve. His forehand is also regarded as the third best in the world.
The Swiss plays second fiddle only to Rafa Nadal when it comes to on-court tactics as Federer's "ability to weigh up risk versus reward when looking to attack, as well as his ability to withstand opponents in long rallies" make him highly impactful during matches.
His mentality, particularly during high-stakes moments, cannot be overlooked. "Federer's greatest strength is his mind," GIG stated. "If you win as often - and for as long - as Federer has, it's pretty clear that you can hold your nerve when it counts."
Federer's excellence does not end there. He ranks highly when it comes to agility, repeated sprints, and match endurance when compared against all other male players.
But not all of his physical attributes are still on point.
Not even Federer is perfect
Federer's overall physical "DNA" is let down by poor acceleration, which GIG rates as 35/100, and inferior foot speed, rated as 21/100.
And the reason for this is clear - he is 37 years old and is a slower athlete than he was when he won his first major 16 years ago.
Regardless, he compensates for this declining prowess with near-perfect scores in many other areas. Combined, this still makes him one of the best players on the ATP Tour.
The player himself has demonstrated this with his exceptional start to the 2019 Australian Open.
Federer, the third seed in the tournament, has not dropped a single set yet and easily dealt with Denis Istomin on Monday, before a composed straight sets victory over Dan Evans on Wednesday.
He is next in action on Friday when he takes on Taylor Fritz but, on current form, the veteran will be expected to easily progress into the fourth round.