Rafael Nadal will be back stronger: Lopez

CHENNAI: Pete Sampras was still going strong, Martina Hingis had just won her first Slam and the world hadn't heard of Rafael Nadal. The year was 1997 and Feliciano Lopez had just made a discreet entry in the tour.

Close to 18 summers since, the 34 year-old Spaniard, who touched his career-best ranking of No 12 this year, may not have any Slams to his name but his beautiful serve and volley game is a whiff of fresh air from the robotic, power-hitting that has come to define the sport today.

"It's been quite a long career and I've no regrets. Considering my results so far, I feel the good things come when just you're ready," says Lopez, putting things into perspective.

Deep blue eyes, chiselled jaw, mop of dark curls and near-messiah looks almost transfix you to think that he belongs to the billboard. You couldn't blame Judy Murray for being driven to dub him 'Deliciano' afterall. Unlike most of his compatriots who would give anything to slug it out from the back of a dusty clay court, the No 17-ranked player admits he was 'born to play on grass.' The homogenization of surfaces, though, does worry him a bit.

"The courts have grown slower and slower over the past decade or so and surfaces are largely similar. I think it will be good for the sport if the ATP does things a little differently and makes every surface unique. That way you'd get to see all kind of players - aggressive ones, baseliners - a bit of everything. I'm not saying the courts have to be very fast, they just have to be different."

Throwing his weight behind compatriot Nadal, Lopez wagers that the 14-time Grand Slam champ 'will be back stronger' next season. "With the top three guys, especially Novak (Djokovic), playing the way they are now, next season is going to be a challenge for Rafa. But he has shown what comebacks are all about earlier, and will do it this time as well." Lopez, who featured in Chennai Open's last edition, will be heading to Doha, which has Novak and Rafa in its field, for the season opener.

Gone are the days when freckled, wonderstruck teens could walk away with Slams. So what makes the top league impenetrable? "The top four guys are almost unbeatable so if the young players have to get higher they would have to win against them first. Novak, I would say, has taken tennis to a level that we did not know exists. Also, I think the level of the game has grown considerably. You can play against those ranked in the 80s or 90s and still lose."

Having been a part of four Davis Cup titles for Spain, Lopez feels it's time for the next rung of players to take charge instead of waiting around for the seniors. "I think our generation - be it me, Rafa, Fernando (Verdasco) or David (Ferrer) - has been playing Davis Cup for almost ten years in a row and have been very successful. I think we have close to a dozen players in the top 100 and we are good enough to be in the World Group. The other players haven't played Davis Cup because a few of us have always been shouldering the responsibility but it's now time for them to be more involved."

Almost ruling out chances of Nadal possibly opting for a 'super coach', he adds, "In tennis, you can hire the best coach in the world and still fare miserably. It's a lot about the understanding and the trust. I feel (Boris) Becker, (Stefan) Edberg and Michael (Chang) have been phenomenal in their respective roles and it shows in the players. I see Roger, for example, trying different maybe little things, but put together they do matter a lot. I feel he has grown a lot more aggressive lately than he was earlier. It's also no coincidence that Novak has been playing the best tennis of his life in the last few years. Rafa has a close-knit team who have been with for a while now and he has full faith in them to help him get back to his best."

David Beckham, Rafael Nadal and more take part in an emotional Paris tribute

A number of famous athletes including David Beckham, Rafael Nadal and Mo Farah, have taken part in an emotional video to show solidarity with Paris​.

The 'Je Suis Paris' clip, posted by Paris Saint-Germain Football Club on YouTube on November 28, sees a host of sportsmen and sportswomen saying the three words, as well as variations on the phrase.

Also included are Didier Drogba, Andre Agassi, Martina Navratilova​ and Cristiano Ronaldo among others.

This comes in the wake of events in Paris a few weeks ago, in which 129 people were killed in coordinated terror attacks across bars, restaurants and venues across the French capital.

The Simpsons recently paid tribute to the victims with the inclusion of the now-iconic Eiffel Tower peace sign in a new episode.

Eagles of Death Metal, who were playing a gig at the La Bataclan concert hall where 89 people were killed, have opened up about that night in an emotional interview.

Ferrer and Nadal return to Davis Cup duty

Spain's Davis Cup captain, Conchita Martínez, has called up David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal, Fernando Verdasco, Roberto Bautista - and David Marrero as a fifth player - for the tie against Denmark, where Spain are playing to stay in the tournament's European Group 1.

Nadal was the surprise inclusion in the squad. He has not featured for Spain in the Davis Cup since their 5-0 win over the Ukraine in 2013.

Due to the ATP rankings, Ferrer (ranked 7th in the world) will be Spain's number one player, with Nadal (8th) its second. The tie is scheduled to be played on 18th and 20th September in Odense. Spain are hoping to avoid dropping out of the group as they want to fight for a return to the World Group next year.

Djokovic beats Federer to claim US Open

It was lucky number 10 for Serbia's Novak Djokovic Sunday when he downed long-time rival Roger Federer to capture the US Open crown. The world number one lifted his third Grand Slam of the year in a four-set battle (6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4), in which his mental fortitude delivered victory.

The win means Djokovic's defeat by Stan Wawrinka at the French Open in June is the match that robbed him of the elusive calendar Grand Slam.
That aside, he's pretty chuffed at adding to his singles trophy haul - and at making a name for himself among the legends of the game.
Just six men in tennis history have won more singles majors than Djokovic, with Federer leading the charge with a record 17 Grand Slams, followed by Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras on 14 titles each, Roy Emerson with 12 and Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg with 11.
"We got to double digits now and I'm flattered and honored to be a part of the elite group of players, legends of our sports, to manage to win this many Grand Slam trophies in their lives and careers," Djokovic said.
"I'm 28. I have always valued the care for my body, and my mind ... I will continue on with the same kind of lifestyle. Hopefully this same kind of approach will give me longevity and I can have many more years to come and many more opportunities to fight for these trophies."
Despite losing his first US Open final in six years, Federer insisted he is very much enjoying the game and was quick to dismiss talk of retirement.
"I am playing a good year. I'm playing good tennis," the 34-year-old said. "I am happy with where my level is at. I'm able to be consistent, very consistent."
Djokovic's US Open win caps off a season that saw him win the same three Grand Slam titles he claimed in 2011.
While it was a tough feat to repeat, Djokovic said things are different this time round.
"I'm enjoying this year more than any previous one because I'm a husband and I'm a father and that makes it even more sweeter."

Rafael Nadal's nightmare summer just got even worse

The summer of Rafael Nadal’s discontent continued Thursday night when he dropped his fourth hard-court match in eight tries, after a three-set loss, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (3) loss to countryman Feliciano Lopez. Nadal has now gone through the most disappointing clay-court season of his career, is 13-9 in his last 22 hard-court matches and is currently getting the sixth-best odds to win the U.S. Open, behind the rest of the Big Four (a group he’s in danger of getting booted from), Stan Wawrinka and an injured Kei Nishikori. All this from a man who was ranked No. 1 as recently as 13 months ago.

Nadal’s loss also denied Americans of just the fourth Federer-Nadal match on U.S. soil, which would have taken place Friday night had Nadal lived up to his end of the bargain. (Federer destroyed top-15 player Kevin Anderson 6-1, 6-1 to earn his berth.) It’s a precipitously fast fall for a player who looked to be assured of an Australian Open title 19 months ago that would have began his real charge toward Roger Federer’s record 17 majors. But now instead of asking how many Slams will win, the question is now whether Nadal will everwin another.

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

But that’s a long-term question. In the short term, let’s lament the showdown that didn’t happen between The Fed and Nadal. Thus, fans are left with the far-less interesting Federer vs. Lopez quarter. It could be a perception thing, but this sort of scenario — Federer and Nadal favored in matches that would lead to a showdown the next round and then Nadal failing to convert his side of things — feels like Groundhog Day.

How many times has this happened, particularly in the United States, where the two greatest of their generation seemed to be on a collision course for a meeting before one of them (usually Nadal) lost in the round before? It’s an interesting topic for the G.O.A.T. discussion, which features Nadal fans reciting the pro-Nadal head-to-head record ad nauseam, though, to be fair, that discussion may no longer exist with Nadal in his current tailspin. If he keeps like this, no one can say he’s the best. He might not make the top three when it’s all said and done.

(Cincinnati Enquirer)

Federer, it seems, always went deep enough into clay-court tournaments to face (and then lose to) Rafa, yet Nadal lost so many matches on grass and hard courts in which he was due to face the stronger Federer next. Could this have swung their overall head-to-head, which is dominated by Nadal, solely because of his clay prowess.

The good news for Nadal is that he clinched a top-eight seed at the U.S. Open thanks to Marin Cilic’s loss on Thursday (and if you want to talk about struggling players, the reigning Open champ is right in that conversation). But the bad news is that he might not even get to see the fruits of his seeding, not when he’s lost on hard c0urts this year to players ranked No. 34, No. 124 and No. 127, among others.

Rafael Nadal isn’t himself. Will he ever be again?

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

Result: Rafael Nadal beats Jeremy Chardy to progress in Cincinnati

Rafael Nadal has continued his bid for a fourth title of the year by beating Jeremy Chardy 6-3 6-4 in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters.

The Spaniard, who has not won a hard court tournament since the Qatar Open in January 2014, dominated the longer rallies in trademark fashion but Chardy appeared to cope well with his weapons until the break arrived in the fourth game.

Chardy twice had opportunities to break back as Nadal served for the opener, and the Frenchman would live to regret the missed chances.

Another nervy service game would follow early in the second set, but Nadal dealt a blow to Chardy's hopes by saving six break points on the way to a well-earned hold.

The eighth seed secured the break required to put him on course for victory midway through the set, and the win was almost secured when he earned two match points in the ninth game, but he was denied as Chardy forced his rival to serve for the match.

It was far from a routine finish for Nadal, who was forced to save break point for the ninth time in a dramatic climax, but the 14-time Grand Slam winner held his nerve to convert match point at the fifth attempt and set up a third-round clash with Feliciano Lopez.

Rafa met #32 Fabio Fognini today in the Hamburg final. Rafa was attempting to extend his streak of consecutive years with at least one European clay finals and Fabio was trying to be the first person with 3 clay court wins over Rafa in 1 year. Who would prevail?

The match started with 4 consecutive breaks of serve. Rafa was the first to hold and start a trend. It looked like the hold streak might end in the 11th game, but Rafa survived a very nervy serve game to force Fognini to serve to stay in the set. In the next game, Rafa earned multiple break points. On the 4th opportunity, Rafa hit a forehand return winner off a second serve and the set was his: 7-5.

Rafa started the 2nd set with a love hold. He went on to break in the 4th game, but couldn’t consolidate as Fognini broke in the next game to put the set back on serve. In the 5th game, Rafa saved one break point against, but on the 2nd, he didn’t stop play when Fognini’s return was wide (and not called). His reply was a bit tentative and Fognini hit a drop shot winner to break and go up 4-3. Having learned that lesson the hard way, Rafa did stop play when he had a break point in the next game. He was right, Fognini’s ball was out and the set was back on serve. Didn’t last long, though. Down a break point in the next game, Rafa hit a drop shit into the net and was broken – giving Fognini the chance to serve for the set.

Things got odd on the changeover after that. Fognini stepped over towards Rafa’s side and had some harsh words. People attempting to translate said he kept saying “don’t break my balls”. So…who the heck knows what was going on. Whatever it was, perhaps it helped fire Rafa up because he fought from set point down in the next game to break back and level the set at 5-5. In the next game, Fognini had double break point. He lost one with drop shit. Rafa saved another with an ace. Rafa went on to hold for 6-5. Given how the match went overall, it’s only fitting that Rafa broke in the last game to take the game, match and title.

Rafa defeats Fognini 7-5, 7-5.

	Nadal	Fognini
Statistics on Serve
Aces	1	0
Double Faults	3	2
1st Serve %	81%	63%
1st Serve Points Won	45/81 (56%)	40/70 (57%)
2nd Serve Points Won	10/19 (53%)	14/42 (33%)
Break Points Saved	9/14 (64%)	8/15 (53%)
Service Games Played	12	12
Statistics on Return
1st Return Points Won	30/70 (43%)	36/81 (44%)
Second Return Points Won	28/42 (67%)	9/19 (47%)
Break Points Won	7/15 (47%)	5/14 (36%)
Return Games Played	12	12
Statistics on Points
Total Service Points Won	55/100 (55%)	54/112 (48%)
Total Return Points Won	58/112 (52%)	45/100 (45%)
Total Points Won	113/212 (53%)	99/212 (47%)
Other Stats
Winners	18	39
Unforced errors	27	60
Net Approaches	7/15 (47%)	5/14 (36%)

Trophy biting photo once one becomes available. Sorry for the oodles of typos that probably exist in here. It’s early. I’m tired. And I’m too happy to care. :

Rafael Nadal in action at the Hamburg Open on Thursday

afael Nadal: Back in Hamburg action on Thursday

Top seed Rafael Nadal returns to action as he aims for a spot in the quarter-finals of the Hamburg Open on Thursday.

Nadal is attempting to resolve the crisis that has gripped his game this year and has seen him suffer just a second career loss at the French Open and a second round exit to German journeyman Dustin Brown at Wimbledon.

The 29-year-old's decision to play a European clay tournament with the US hard-court season just around the corner has baffled many.

He was given a stiff workout in his opening clash against compatriot Fernando Verdasco before coming through in three sets.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion will now take on young Czech star Jiri Vesely who completed a 3-6 6-1 6-0 win over Andreas Haider-Mauer in a match that had been halted by rain a day earlier.

Opening the day's play will be beanpole Jerzy Janowicz against fifth-ranked opponent Pablo Cuevas from Uruguay.

They will be followed on court at the Rothenbaum Tennis Center by Italian fourth seed Andreas Seppi against home hope Florian Mayer.

Seppi's compatriot Simone Bolelli will be last on court when he takes on Spanish teenager Jaume Munar.

The 18-year-old is ranked 683 in the world and only came through his first-round match against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez when his opponent was forced to retire just three games in.

Rafael Nadal Rallies in Germany

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal overcame a sluggish start to beat Fernando Verdasco, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, in the first round of the Hamburg Open in Germany.

Second-seeded Tommy Robredo rallied for a 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2 win over the wild-card entry Alexander Zverev. Third-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, fourth-seeded Andreas Seppi and sixth-seeded Juan Mónaco all advanced to the second round.

■ Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil eased to a 6-2, 6-3 first-round victory over Kimmer Coppejans of Belgium in the Swiss Open in Gstaad. Bellucci won the Gstaad clay-court title in 2009 and 2012.

The 2013 champion, Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, was eliminated after a 6-1, 6-2 loss to seventh-seeded Pablo Carreño of Spain, and the 2011 winner, Marcel Granollers of Spain, lost, 1-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4, to Robin Haase of the Netherlands.

■ The first stop of Mardy Fish’s farewell tour ended quickly with a 6-4, 6-4 first-round loss to Dudi Sela in the Atlanta Open. Fish, 33, plans to retire after the United States Open.

Fish, who won the Atlanta tournament in 2010 and 2011, will also play doubles this week with his friend Andy Roddick, who is taking a break from retirement. (AP)

Rafael Nadal will return to action in Hamburg on Sky Sports

Rafael Nadal: Targeting another clay court title

Rafael Nadal will attempt to revive his fortunes in Hamburg next week, live on Sky Sports.

The Spaniard has announced he will take part in the clay court tournament - the bet-at-home Open – as he strives to find form and confidence following his early exit at Wimbledon.

Any hopes of an extended run at the All England Club were banished by Dustin Brown, who inflicted a shock second-round defeat on Nadal.

He took the title on his last appearance in the German city seven years ago and will be hoping for another morale boosting display ahead of the summer hard court season.

Nadal, who is due to play in Montreal and Cincinnati before the US Open, can improve on his 10th place in the rankings as he has no points to defend.

Compatriot David Ferrer, another clay specialist, was forced to miss Wimbledon with an elbow injury, but is due to appear as top seed.

Flamboyant Italian Fabio Fognini should entertain fans, while world No 11 Gilles Simon will be hoping to put last weekend’s decisive Davis Cup defeat by Andy Murray behind him.

German Philipp Kohlschreiber and Spain’s Tommy Robredo are also included in the draw for the tournament which was won by Argentine Leonard Mayer last year.  

Watch live action from the Hamburg Open at 10.30am next Monday on Sky Sports 3 HD.

Nadal to play in Hamburg

Rafael Nadal will make a surprise return to action in Hamburg next week.

Rafael Nadal: Back in action in Hamburg next week

Nadal's last match was in the second round of Wimbledon when he suffered a shock defeat to Dustin Brown.

It would appear the Spaniard is looking for match practice ahead of the summer hardcourt season, although the Hamburg event - the bet-at-home Open - is played on clay.

Nadal's last visit to the German city came seven years ago when the tournament was still part of the Masters series of tournaments on the ATP World Tour. He won the title that season.

Compatriot David Ferrer is currently due to be top seed at the tournament but he has been troubled by an elbow injury of late, one which forced him to miss Wimbledon.

After Hamburg, Nadal is due to play in Montreal and Cincinnati before the US Open which starts on August 31.

The 29-year-old is currently down at 10th in the world rankings but having not played this part of the season in 2014 he has no points to defend and thus has a good chance of climbing back up the ATP list.

Djokovic-Federer rivalry awaits latest chapter in Wimbledon final

Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in five sets in the 2014 Wimbledon final. They are 6-6 vs. each other all-time in Grand Slam matches. (Ben Curtis/AP) 

LONDON — Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are separated by no more than the width of the piece of paper on which their match results are written coming into their Wimbledon men’s final Sunday. They are split dead evenly in a dozen previous Grand Slam matches. Federer is the only man to have beaten Djokovic in all four of the major championships, while Djokovic is the only man to have done so to Federer. It’s the smallness of that difference that makes it such a giant occasion.“Big,” Federer calls it.

It’s a match loaded with large meaning: Federer will be attempting to win an unprecedented eighth Wimbledon title, and the attempt undoubtedly will be accompanied by huge emotion. Last year’s five-set Wimbledon final, won by Djokovic 6-4 in the fifth, ended with both men on the verge of weeping. Federer stood stock-still with a tear rolling down his check, while Djokovic covered his face with his hands, trying to savor a victory that “just really fulfilled every segment of my being and of my life.”

Their transcendent rivalry has played out over nearly 10 years with shifting swings in dominance that work out to near neutrality on the question of who is better: This will be their 40th meeting overall since 2006, with Federer holding a bare 20-19 lead. Trying to sort out who is the superior player becomes more a matter of stylistic preference than real substance, unless it’s a matter of age. If Federer has an edge, it’s perhaps only because he’s five years older, nearing 34, while Djokovic is just 28.

2015 Wimbledon Championships

Photos of action from the grasscourt Grand Slam tennis tournament in London.

If a serve like a silk-clad billy club and the footwork of a soft-shoe dancer is your preference, then Federer is your favorite to win. He has lost his serve just once in the entire two weeks, delivering the ball at around 120 mph. But add to that his superb footwork and a handsy ability to pluck shots out of the dirt, and he has put on a display of responsive, fluid grass-court tennis that no one has come close to.

“We all know how good he is,” Djokovic said. “He’s the greatest ever. There’s not enough praises for what he does.

Yet Federer has not won a Grand Slam title in three years, thanks largely to Djokovic, and has had to put up with background murmuring that he was past his prime and not capable of challenging the younger man’s top-ranked dominance. Federer dealt with the skepticism with outward equanimity, but apparently it hurt him more than he showed. After winning his semifinal over Andy Murray, he said: “There is also the negative side to it where you just feel like it’s beating down on you: ‘It’s very bad. Your forehand’s terrible. Why are you still playing?’ You’re just like, well, it doesn’t matter what they think, really.”

Federer used it all as competitive fuel. Perhaps hitting the ball more purely than ever, he made his critics seem absurd by dropping just a single set en route to the final. “I always knew the reason why I was playing,” Federer said in a show of suppressed irritation. “I don’t need to explain a whole lot to you guys. I think the fans know why I’m playing.”

Compared to Federer, Djokovic can appear to be more of a physical grinder, but it’s the difference between a dancer and gymnast. He plays from a crouch with the balance and flexibility to hit out from any awkward position, whether driving the ball or spinning it, and he’s simply the greatest returner in the game, with a pouncing quality as he takes the ball early and turns the pace back on his adversary.

Asked what makes Djokovic so difficult to beat, semifinal opponent Richard Gasquet said: “His return. His return. That’s the best because he never miss. Never miss a return. You all the time serve, you serve. The ball is always on your side again.”

It’s no use trying to figure out which player is the more mentally strong either. Federer plays from a place of almost preternatural calm, a perennial crowd favorite for his implacable grace. Djokovic is the stormier creature, with occasional fits of self-fury. But it would be a mistake to call that a vulnerability. He has radiated a sense of deep emotional stability here, a familiar and accessible sight in the village as he cruised around Wimbledon Common on his bicycle or walked in the park with his wife and baby. He has preserved the No. 1 ranking for 53 consecutive weeks for a reason. “You are the hunted one,” he said.

“He’s become a very match tough,” Federer said. “He always shows up. It’s tough to beat him.”

Wimbledon 2015: How Roger Federer inspires global devotion

Andy Murray has been on the receiving end of it.Novak Djokovic hopes one day to match it. And tennis has never seen any thing like it.

Whether it is the 'RF' monograms splattered on caps and shirts or the red-and-white-clad mobs of fanatics, Roger Federer's support is different.

He is a bigger draw at the turnstiles, he attracts more sponsors, he sells more clothes, he is the world's favourite tennis player - certainly now, quite possibly ever.

Each year the ATP have an online vote for the most popular player on the men's tour. For the last 12 years - through the rise of Rafael Nadal, Murray's historic triumph at Wimbledon, Djokovic's current pre-eminence and his own three-year Grand Slam drought - Federer has won it.

The ATP - perhaps reluctant to stoke any resentment among his rivals - will not release full figures for Federer's winning margins through those years.

But in 2013, a poor year for Federer on court, he polled 56% of the vote.  It's safe to presume other years have seen similar landslides.

But it is not just a matter of numbers. There's much more to it than that.

Who are the 'Fed Heads'?

They are a breed of fan that the sport has never seen before - a multinational travelling troupe of diehards for whom tennis is secondary to the man himself.

Thousands of miles of travel, drained bank accounts and weeks of queuing all to support the 33-year-old Federer.

"For me, no Federer, no tennis," says Beata Kumor-Wierzba from Poland, accompanied by her husband, Wlodek.

"We have followed him about four years now. Our daughter is studying and now we have time to go around.

Beata and Wlodek Kumor-Wierzba from Poland are yet to get a selfie with Federer despite their dedication

"We were at the Australian Open, at Indian Wells, in Halle, in Monte Carlo, in Rome, at the French Open, now here at Wimbledon and we will go to the US Open, then to Basel and then come back to London for the World Tour finals."

Wlodek and Beata are independent Roger watchers, but his official fan club, Fans 4 Roger - £42 for 12 months' membership - are also in attendance.

Their members have come from Sweden, Lebanon, India, the Netherlands and Brazil to proclaim their love for Federer with personalised national flags.

Mapping the 17-time Grand Slam champion's social media following against that of Murray shows just how far Federer's appeal extends around the globe.

Outside of the United Kingdom (Murray), Spain (Nadal) and Serbia (Djokovic), it is difficult to find a country where he is not the most popular tennis player.

Roger Federer's global Twitter following, mapped in the top half of this image and taking in Africa, Central and South America and parts of Asia, dwarfs that of Murray, shown at the bottom

But is it rational?

He is arguably the greatest player of all time, plays in an almost eerily serene manner, and, with 33 years on the clock, the chances to see him in the flesh are fast diminishing.

But the sheer depth of devotion that Federer inspires is difficult to tally with mere matters tennis.

Trevor Smith left Newcastle for Wimbledon at 04:45 BST to see Federer play Sam Querrey in the second round. He returned home 22 hours later, snatching some sleep before heading off to work.

"I never have any split loyalties whoever he is playing, it is Roger all the way," he explains.

Trevor Smith, left with nephew David Tuck, took up tennis at the age of 50, inspired by Federer

"Watching Roger has helped me through some tough times - my mother died 18 months ago. The way he came back from a poor 2013 in 2014 - he is just class on and off the court."

Smith is not alone.

Some have tattoos of Roger Federer's monogram.

William Skidelsky even wrote a whole book.

In 'Federer and me', Skidelsky, the former books editor of the Observer, describes his obsession with Federer and how, after first watching him play on a Shanghai hotel TV, he was entranced by the "silky wondrousness of his play".

What follows is a trip down a rabbit-hole into a world of tickets touts, early-hours satellite viewing and impulsive trips to out-of-the-way events.

The book also includes a brutally honest passage in which Skidelsky and his partner, emotionally shattered over the death of an unborn child, travel to the O2 to be consumed in the calm of a Federer match at the World Tour Finals.

What's the appeal?

Even his biggest fans struggle to quite explain the potent alchemy of Federer's personality and play.

Renee Kropel has travelled from Amsterdam to Wimbledon, to start a cycle of watching Federer at the All England Club before crossing back over the road to camp in the queue for tickets to his next match.

Last year she followed Switzerland and Federer through four rounds of the Davis Cup, travelling to Serbia and France and spending £500 on tickets to the final alone.

"It is very difficult to tell," she says. "He is very classy, everyone says that I know, but it is true.

"There is no difference with him on or off court, he is just the same person."

The Federer who beat defending champion Pete Sampras in a breakthrough victory at Wimbledon 2001 did not seem likely to become such an emotional focal point.

Federer ended a 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon for Pete Sampras with his win in 2001

His sleek public image was yet to emerge; his calm on-court demeanour was a relatively recent change from a tempestuous junior career.

But, according to sports sponsorship and marketing consultant Nigel Currie, Federer emerged at the right time and from the right place to maximise his obvious appeal.

"He comes from a country that had not been a powerhouse in the sport and that makes him unique. It frees him from some of the traditional rivalries and narratives and allows him to be his own man," he said.

"However, added to that, his English has always been incredibly good. English is the lingua franca of tennis - three of the four majors are played in English-speaking countries.

"The ability to crack jokes and make subtle articulate points, to speak it like a first language, makes it easy to be communicative and human to the widest audience.

Federer, far left, is sponsored by blue-chip companies like Rolex, Nike, Credit Suisse and Moet & Chandon

"He was one of the top stars at the time that social media such as Twitter began to take off. He was one of the individuals who grew with that, it was a mutually beneficial thing for top athletes at the time - they helped social media grow and social media helped them grow. "

The same could be said of Tiger Woods and Thierry Henry. They were signed, along with Federer, in 2008 as a major three-pronged campaign to sell razors. All three were sleek, yet solid citizens at the top of their game.

The other two have since slipped from the pedestal, yet Federer's reputation - the odd broken racquet and cheesy chocolate advert apart - remains as blemish-free as his finals-day whites.

That constant quality, amid the muck and scrutiny of being a successful modern-day sportsman, is just as key to the Federer allure.

While he keeps that, the Fed Heads will keep coming back for more.