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 offensive acumen. All of this in the 21st century with bigger topspin, modern fitness and even a one-handed backhand that symbolized what many still bemoan as a dying weapon.

Ten years ago, the late David Foster Wallace penned “Federer as Religious Experience” in the New York Times. It touched on how Federer’s gifts and genius were appreciated at his absolute peak, but the tribute has proved to be prescient of how in 2016 Federer still captures the hearts of tennis fans from all over the world.

As time moves Federer to his 35th birthday next month, he’s still the “Maestro” who can weave magical shots and create beautiful wins that bring everyone back to the years that he dominated like no other superstar, before or since. The memories of Federer will always be as strong as his presence—for as long as plays and long after he hangs up his racket.

Federer’s golden rivalry with Nadal set a standard that has not been replaced by subsequent rivalries with Nadal, Djokovic, Murray or any other combinations of rivalries these stars have had with each other. Throw in 17 major titles, 302 weeks at No. 1 and endless lists of other records, well, these legendary accomplishments cannot be replaced in a Brazilian Olympics or New York major.

Other players will keep on winning, but without Federer’s star, tennis shifts from daylight to darkness, from the “Golden Era” to what some might consider an impending “Dark Age.” This is not to say that tennis is regressing, but that there is gloom for many who have watched and rooted for history’s most popular player.

Stars on the Horizon Need Time

Many tennis fans don’t want to invest in Djokovic’s brilliance, Murray’s perseverance and Nadal’s fading star as the ultimate fighter. They would rather hold on to Federer’s familiar greatness. They have little patience and more skepticism for younger unfulfilled players.

Are they eagerly awaiting the era of Nick Kyrgios, assuming that his motivation and behavior also set the ideal standards of the future?

Maybe Milos Raonic will serve his way to a major final, but he’s not the model of tennis beauty and footwork that Federer brought to the 21st century.

Will they root for a one-handed grinder like Austrian Dominic Thiem, who has thus far been one of the hardest workers and classiest young players on tour? It depends on if he becomes a super winner, and that’s only the beginning. These things do not happen overnight.

Perhaps Alexander Zverev or Borna Coric launch themselves at the top of the rankings in a super rivalry for the 2020s, but that’s light-years away in 2016.

Meanwhile, tennis’ Rogers Cup does not feature five of its six biggest superstars, the Olympics continue to see players drop out and the U.S. Open series cannot gain momentum for the Western and Southern Open (which should be renamed “The Federer New World Open” because of seven titles and three finals wins over Djokovic).

The U.S. Open will lose its 2015 runner-up, and American football will gain all the headlines by September.

The Asian swing, Swiss Open and World Tour Final without Federer? Sports fans might think that there is a four-month offseason between the U.S. and Australian Opens. There simply is not the star power to replace the legendary Federer name and what he means to the sport.

Who will fill the emotional void?

(Silence.)

Tennis will go on but painfully for a while. Even if Djokovic and Murray dominate the titles, it won’t be the same without Federer in the lineup. If Nadal comes back triumphant, Federer’s void will be more obvious. If veteran stars like Stan Wawrinka or Tomas Berdych get a moment of glory, few but ardent tennis fans will notice.

Until the next big thing arrives, until another young player rises up to capture the world’s imagination, the absence of Federer will loom larger than ever.