Age is just a number

Four of the all-time greats in tennis, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Serena and Venus Williams reached the finals of the Australian Open. It is the first time since Wimbledon in 2008 that this illustrious quartet has landed in a grand slam final. It is also the first time in the Open era that all four grand slam singles finalists are at least 30 years old. Federer is 35 and Nadal is 30. Venus is 36 and Serena 35, making the women’s showpiece the oldest women’s grand slam final in the Open era. Advances in sports science, the Australian Open’s place in the calendar - it’s the first major of the season when players are usually the freshest - and the quartet’s familiarity with playing on the hard courts at Melbourne Park help explain why the thirtysomethings are flourishing. Because of the highly competitive nature of sports, with millions of dollars up for grabs in major tournaments, teams and individual athletes focus on achieving the best results possible. So they hire fitness coaches, dieticians, nutritionists, performance analysts, sports therapists and strength and conditioning specialists. Such advances allow somebody like Essam Al-Hadari, Egypt’s national team football goalkeeper, to guard the nets at 44. Al-Hadari is currently featuring in the Africa Cup of Nations, the oldest player in the tournament’s history. His heroics between the posts are one of the reasons Egypt is in the quarterfinals. Football is a high-intensity sport, as is tennis. Tennis is one of the few sports that give a full-body workout. You have to use your arms, legs and torso. It requires speed and reflexes, especially on serve returns and volleys. It tests your mental strength and quick decision making skills. The different surfaces - clay, hard and grass - test your skills in several different ways. The climate affects the racquet, balls and playing surface (especially on outdoor courts) and thus tests your adaptability. The huge prize money and worldwide fame it bestows make tennis one of the world’s most alluring sports. But that combination also makes it one of the most competitive. For every Federer and Williams, millions never make it. That’s why sports stars in general must have that burning desire to be the best and not settle for second best. That’s what drives them continuously forward. And should they reach the top, the test is to remain there. Their achievements should not diminish their appetite for the incessant demands of more success. But it is perhaps just not possible in the modern age to sustain such relentless success for any long period of time. The years of obsession and dedication needed often lead to burnout, which makes comebacks exceptionally difficult. But our four tennis superstars have proven beyond doubt that despite their relatively advanced age they still have the power and the offensive and defensive skills to defeat younger challengers. Apart from Serena Williams, who has been on top of her game throughout the past several years, the others have been attempting to make a comeback. Federer made his competitive return in Melbourne after six months out with a knee injury, while Nadal has also struggled with form and injury over the past couple of years. Venus failed to reach a single Grand Slam quarterfinal between 2011 and 2014 as she battled injuries and Sjogren’s Syndrome, an auto-immune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain. However, all of them have disproved the notion that the combination of ageing bodies and physical problems would prevent them from challenging again for major honors. The fabulous four have shown that quality precedes age.