Tennis Lacks the Star Power to Fill Roger Federer’s Absence for the Rest of 2016

Roger Federer’s 2016 knee injury is a huge blow to tennis. The Swiss star announced that he will not play the rest of  2016, ending a troubled year that saw him miss the majority of the year’s biggest tournaments including the French Open. His final match was a five-set semifinal loss to Milos Raonic at Wimbledon.

Federer, the sport’s most popular player, left a gaping hole on the ATP tour following the 2016 Australian Open when he was sidelined by knee surgery, rehabilitation, illness and back problems. Quite simply, nobody stepped into his legendary shoes, and now that the hope of seeing Federer play in 2016 is gone, the sport will lose significant followers.

We’re not talking about only the ”Federer Fanatics” who have lovingly voiced endless tributes to their hero through social media sites and sharing. Without Federer, many casual tennis fans will disappear, and other sports fans might not care to look up when Olympics tennis or the U.S. Open is scheduled.

Never mind that there is a dominant champion in Novak Djokovic, perhaps the greatest player ever. Even a potentially hotter rivalry with Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will not salvage the sport.

Nor will the return of clay king Rafael Nadal.

Not even all the hopeful hype about young “Generation Next” players will fill the Federer void.

Why is Federer irreplaceable?

Apotheosis of a Classic Superstar

When Roger Federer dominated tennis in 2004-07, he transcended his sport. It was like combining into one superstar the aura of Bjorn Borg, the flashiness of Andre Agassi and the dominance of Pete Sampras. Federer was a bridge to the past and a conduit to the future. He fascinated global sports fans with how he won with his classic style.

Federer was the heir apparent to 1960s Australian legend Rod Laver, who used all-courts skills to finish points quickly from baseline to net. The Swiss played like the ideal of every tennis club instructor who preached about masterful fundamentals. He rose to stardom as an intelligent server, and he used baseline angles and pace with brilliant …

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