With power, finesse and sheer will ROGER FEDERER and SERENA WILLIAMS, both 35, became Australian Open champs and served notice that they're still at the top of their game.
IN THE SUMMER of 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark reigned at the box-office, Hall and Oates infected us with a string of objectively awful but undeniably catchy pop hits, and President Ronald Reagan, in his first year on the job, enjoyed encouraging popularity. It was a hell of a season for tennis, too, though that had nothing to do with John McEnroe and Tracy Austin winning the U.S. Open.
Under unfathomably, almost comically, different circumstances, the two best players in tennis came into the world. On Aug. 8, 1981, Roger Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland, to parents so fiercely middle class that they would have giggled at the notion that their only son would become a professional athlete, much less a star. The following month, in Saginaw, Michigan, Serena Williams was loosed upon the world, a child who, according to her father, was conceived for the express purpose of becoming a tennis champion.
Their backgrounds, their career paths, their dispositions, their entire modes of being . . . contrast sharply. But Federer and Williams also share a remarkable symmetry. Ultimately, they arrived at the same place: not merely champions, but transcendent figures who have redefined their line of work.
And for all their gifts, their ultimate validation might be their longevity. At age 35, here they are, still at the peak of their profession, making balloon animals out of time.
Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Sports Illustrated India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Sports Illustrated India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Hockey World Cup- India Gears Up For Glory
Hosts India will have to play out of their skins to win their second Hockey Men’s World Cup title.
The Drive For Consistency
Find something you love doing and use that to fall in love with your body, so you can embrace change and sustain a pattern that lets you unlock the best version of yourself
The Phenomenon
Kevin Pietersen may have retired from playing, but he will remain a part of the game and Test cricket folklore for a long time
Powering The Action
The IPL is intense. Players let off the fireworks on the pitch, but it is the coaches and support staff that light the fuses. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED traces the evolution of this critical aspect of the game, and why Indians still need to make a mark
A Steep Learning Curve
Making the transition from the junior level to the senior team has been quite challenging but a hugely rewarding experience.
Scorecard - Don't Blame It on Rio
Apathy towards the Olympics could cast golf in a negative light and jeo paradise its standing with the IOC for the 2024 Games and beyond.
Bench Strength
With the Likes of Nair, Yadav, Jadhav and Chahal Performing With Maturity Over the Past Year, Team India’s Bench Strength Looks Strong Ahead of the Champions Trophy.
Sir Roger Bannister (1929-2018)
A legend in his own time, Sir Roger was most proud of his neurology research but his historic sub-four mile run in 1954 is still regarded as one of his best breakthroughs
Battle Ready
A star-studded Indian contingent seeks to reshape its approach with rising talent, even as seasoned warriors in badminton, weight-lifting, shooting and wrestling aim for gold
Safe Passage
The Dustup That Marred the Return of Chris Paul to L.a. Has Faded. As the Point God Settles Into a New Home, He Has a New Running Buddy and a Group of Teammates Who Feel Like a Family