AGE: 23 COUNTRY: Switzerland EVENTS: Men's tennis, singles and doubles (with Yves Allegro) THE DRAMA: Can Federer set up his third showdown final with world No. 2 Andy Roddick this summer and beat the hard-serving young American again? THE COMPETITION: Roddick
Posted Sunday, August 8, 2004; 11.13BST
Roger Federer has only happy memories of playing at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. Well, almost. "It was one of the best experiences I've had as an athlete," says the Swiss tennis star. "There's nothing like the vibe in the Olympic Village, and I had a great time." Except, perhaps, for one small thing. "I came in fourth," he says. "I just missed a medal."
Going into the 2004 tennis season, Federer set three goals for himself: hang onto his No. 1 ranking, defend his Wimbledon title and perform well at the Olympics. His year has been so good, with eight tournament victories to date, that goal No. 1 is pretty much a done deal. One of those victories was on the storied grass of the All England Club, taking care of goal No. 2. Which only leaves goal No. 3. "I want to go back and get that medal," he says. He's a solid favorite to do so. Even his opponents concede that Federer is in top form. "He's played better than anybody this year," said American Andy Roddick, perhaps his biggest rival for the gold, after losing to Federer in the final of Wimbledon. "He's definitely got an aura about him right now."
Of course, funny things can happen at the Olympics. In 1992, Federer's countryman Marc Rosset was only ranked No. 38 in the world, and hadn't progressed past the quarterfinals of any other tournament that year, when he defeated then No. 1 Jim Courier and No. 4 Goran Ivanisevic en route to gold in Barcelona. So Federer knows that it won't be just another week on the pro tour — he will be competing not for a fat paycheck, but for Switzerland. "Even in the Grand Slams, I'm playing for myself," he says. "It's different when you play for your country because you do feel like you've got an extra weight on your shoulders."
Federer, a Davis Cup veteran, says he's got pretty used to that kind of pressure over the past few years. It's just one of the ways he and his game have improved noticeably since the last Olympics. "Both mentally and physically, I've become stronger," Federer says. Quick — and quick-witted — on the court, he has developed a wide repertoire of clever shots that befuddle even the best of his opponents. He has improved the consistency of his already strong serve and his lethal backhand. And his strokes pack a bigger punch than they used to. "Everything has a little more power behind it," he says. Just enough, he hopes, to propel him to a gold.
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