Roger Federer

For as long as I can remember, I have had a keen interest in sport. I have always admired those who have the ability to succeed and take the game to another level. Greats such as Tiger Woods in Golf, Ayrton Senna in Formula One, Joe Montana in American Football and my silver saint, Roger Federer in Tennis.

Federer stands out from the crowd in the way he goes about his business both on and off the court. He took tennis to a different level in an era that was becoming dominated by power and over sized rackets. Not being the most powerful player, Federer shows so much strength and depth in his shot selection, deft hands and impeccable technique that he out plays most of his adversaries with such effortless grace and style that you cannot help but admire the beauty of his game.

Although he is often criticised for his lack of emotion on court, I see him as focussed, controlled and disciplined which has allowed him to win countless grand slams much like the legends before him Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl. I would argue that without his quiet, focus, discipline and business like attitude to the game would he have achieved 237 consecutive weeks as world No 1?

It is his attitude that I attempt to emulate in work and play. Playing tennis to a decent level and competing in tournaments myself, I can appreciate the dedication, hard work and mental strength required to be a world-class player. Roger’s example inspired me to push myself in my sport of choice, Ultimate Frisbee. He has helped me to achieve my goal of representing my country and I have played with GB in 6 international tournaments.

Aside from being a world-class athlete and sportsman, he has also managed to turn Roger Federer the person into a worldwide brand. No one in tennis has become such a hugely successful brand and only a handful of other sports people have achieved this, Beckham and Woods being obvious contenders.

Despite being arguably the greatest tennis player ever to pick up a racket and achieving more than most tennis players ever will, like us all he still has obstacles to overcome. He is motivated to continue to improve his game to better Pete Sampras’ grand slam record and to ultimately conquer the remaining grand slam that eludes him, the French Open. This is the attitude that inspires me to continually improve my game and to inspire others that I coach to reach their potential and set the bar high. We could all learn a thing or two from watching Federer play tennis, which is why he is my very worthy Silver Saint.

Merrick Cardew