Borna Coric has raised hopes that The All England Club can finally usher in a changing of the guard, but Roger Federer says don’t hold your breath.
Coric’s shock victory over Federer last week in Halle snapped the Swiss marvel’s 20-match grass-court winning streak and denied the ageless champion a 99th career trophy and perfect preparation to his latest Wimbledon title defence.
But while 21-year-olds Coric and world No.3 Alexander Zverev, fellow next-gen whiz Denis Shapovalov, French Open finalist Dominic Thiem and Australia’s big hope Nick Kyrgios may have other ideas, Federer believes his Halle hiccup means nothing.
“Regardless of whether I won or lost in Halle, I will be one of the favourites at Wimbledon,” he said in typical Federer fashion as he eyed an unprecedented ninth men’s singles crown in London.
To spark an exciting new era in men’s tennis, Coric or company must not only likely stop Federer but break a four-man domination of the sport’s grandest event not seen before.
Not even Lew Hoad, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and John Newcombe in Australia’s halcyon days of the late 1950s to early 1970s can match the modern-day Wimbledon feats of Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Nor did the Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors reign in the ’70s and early ’80s equal the deeds of tennis’s 21st century big four.
Between them, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray have shared the past 15 Wimbledon men’s singles crowns.
Even Federer feels the pressure to keep the good times rolling.
But he feels the heat coming from an old, familiar foe more than from Zverev, Kyrgios and the like.
“I think Rafa is one of the big favourites,” the 20-times grand slam champ said of his great Spanish rival and world No.1.
“When Rafa is healthy, anything is possible for him.”
Turning 37 in August, Federer and 32-year-old Nadal have wound back the clock a decade as they chase seven straight slams between them for the first time since 2008-09.
The two old stagers and grand slam gluttons are seeded to clash once again in a 10th major final – 12 years after their first.
So it’s hardly surprising Federer doesn’t envisage any upheaval any time soon.
Kyrgios, though for one, says he’s ready to step up after his first injury-free build-up since storming into the quarter-finals with his dazzling win over Nadal as a teenager in 2014.
“I definitely have expectations,” Kyrgios said ahead of Friday night’s draw.
“I’d like to do very well – second week would be great. Any further for me is where I’m expecting myself to go,”
It’s more likely the chief threat to Federer and Nadal will come not from the ambitious youth movement or the revitalised Djokovic or rehabilitating Murray, but from unsung Marin Cilic.
The 29-year-old Croat presents not as a bold new-age challenger, but as a seasoned and perennial grand slam force after facing off with Federer in last year’s final, then pushing the champion Swiss to five sets in the Australian Open title decider.
If the sun does finally set on Federer, perhaps it is his Cilic’s time to shine.
