Where are They Now? Roger Federer’s Generation
Hook The tears
flowed freely from your eyes when Roger Federer retired in September last year. It was the end
of an era but it left some fans wondering what the other players of Federer’s generation were up to.
For context, we are talking about his key contemporaries born between 1980
and 1984 and here’s what we found! Marat Safin (D.O.B = 27/01/1980)
(0:00-0:04) Safin turned pro in 1997 and retired in 2009 when he was only
29. But for those 12+ years on the tour, he became the world number 1,
won 2 slams and 15 career titles. Shortly after his retirement,
he moved into politics and was a member of the State Duma representing the United Russia
party from 2011 to 2017 before quitting politics to focus more on the commitments
that came as a result of his induction into the Tennis Hall of fame in 2016.
Safin has been an official for the Russian Tennis Federation and a member of the Russian Olympic
Committee. Although we don’t see him so often on the circuit, he pops up every now and then,
particularly at the French Open. We saw him at Australia in 2020 where he was sitting
courtside as Russia's captain in the ATP Cup, supporting his compatriots. Safin has said that
he doesn’t follow sports or tennis so much and prefers to explore other things. But it’s the
other way round for this next player. Lleyton Hewitt (D.O.B = 24/02/1981)
From when he turned pro in 1998 until his retirement from singles in 2016,
the Australian won 2 slams and reached the pinnacle of the ATP rankings.
He won 30 singles titles and 3 more in doubles. Although he retired in 2016,
his love for tennis never faded and he continued to play doubles until 2020. Hewitt
runs commentaries at the Australian open and is the team captain of the Australian Davis Cup
Team. The former world number one has also been leading the Albany Tennis Academy in the Bahamas.
Last December, Hewitt sold his family home in Victoria and moved into a new home in Burleigh
Heads, Queensland. One of the reasons for his move was rumored to be the need to consolidate
his son’s potential as a future top-10 player. The 13-year-old Cruz Hewitt won the Australian
junior tennis clay-court title in Canberra last year and is looking to follow in his father’s
footsteps, just like the Davydenkos. Nikolay Davydenko (D.O.B = 02/06/1981)
The former world number 3 retired in 2014 after 15 solid years on the tour and was one of the best in
the 00s despite not winning a slam. Although he now leads a quiet life with his family, he
still holds tennis dear to this heart. Davydenko doesn’t really do much commentary but he has tried
his hands on coaching with fellow compatriot Karen Khachanov with whom he spent a few weeks.
Currently, the 41-year-old coaches a group of kids around 9 to 11 years old
including his daughter. Having earned over $16 million in prize money throughout his career,
Davydenko seems to have shifted his priorities to his family,
which is what Fernando Gonzalez is also doing. Fernando Gonzalez (D.O.B = 29/07/1980)
Although he never won a major in his career,
Gonzalez was a top 5 player in his prime and had one of the hardest forehands on the tour.
From 1999 to 2012, the Chilean produced some memorable performances against top players.
Since leaving the big stage 12 years ago, he has continued to work with the Chilean
Tennis Federation and has been coaching his compatriot Gonzalo Lama. He decided to focus
more on family in 2017 and has been in a relationship with retired Argentine field
hockey player Luciana Aymar with whom he has 2 kids. Gonzalez chose to relocate to
Miami with his family in July. Anyway, we’ve got a few players who’ve decided
to switch sports post retirement. David Nalbandian (D.O.B = 01/01/1982)
No doubt, if he had good shoulders, the former world number 3 Nalbandian could have done more
in his career. The Argentine retired in 2013 but picked up rally racing. He has
featured in the Argentine Rally Championship and has even made appearances in the Codasur
South American Rally Championship and in the World Rally Championship.
But as with most other tennis players, you can’t just take away the sport from them completely,
so in 2021 he was hired as a coach by Kecmanović. Nalbandian also does
some coaching at home, working with the Top Tennis Training
Youtube channel on video courses. Mardy fish (D.O.B = 09/12/1981)
And then we’ve got Mardy fish who overtook Andy Roddick to become the top-ranked American player
in 2011. After retiring in 2015, Fish took his golfing career to the next level. Currently, he
is one of the best celebrity golfers and is among the favorites at the American Century Championship
in Lake Tahoe, a tournament he won in 2020. As for tennis, Fish started the Mardy Fish
Children’s Foundation and has been active on the Invesco Series QQQ tennis circuit. In 2019,
he replaced Jim Courier as captain of the United States Davis Cup team and in 2021
shared his story on the Netflix docuseries Untold: Breaking Point. Looks like he’s got a lot on his
plate just like his compatriot, Andy. Andy Roddick (D.O.B = 30/08/1982)
Still the greatest American player of the 21st century,
the former world number 1 has since gone into punditry and commentary work,
been heavily involved in buying property to rent out which he started in 2008,
and runs his Andy Roddick Foundation in Austin Texas. Roddick has angel-invested into dozens
of businesses with his wife and business partner following his retirement in 2012.
Who’s next? Another former world number 1. Juan Carlos Ferrero (D.O.B = 12/02/1980)
Ferrero had an enviable career. He won a slam, reached the zenith of the rankings,
and made about $14 million in prize money among other impressive feats. He retired in 2012 but
made a brief comeback in 2017 playing doubles at the Barcelona Open. Afterward, he coached
Alexander Zverev but it didn't quite work out. But who is he coaching now? Carlos Alcaraz.
If they could rack up 6 titles last year,
there’s no telling what the duo might achieve in the near future. Ferrero also
owns a tennis academy and a hotel in spain. Fernando Verdasco (D.O.B = 15/11/1983)
The Spaniard was one of the finest players around 2009, 2010. Now 39 and nowhere near his prime,
he’s still very much active on the tour and plays well from time to time. Although
he recently got banned for 2 months for making a silly mistake of not renewing his
therapeutic use exemption of methylphenidate, I’m sure he’ll be back soon for a last dance.
David Ferrer (D.O.B 02/04/1982) Ferrer is one of the most successful
players of Roger Federer’s generation. He retired in 2019 with 27 singles titles and a slam final
appearance. He was recently named the Spanish Davis Cup captain for the next 3 years. Ferrer
has also been the director of the Barcelona Open since his retirement and he plays a supportive
role in his brother’s tennis academy. Safe to say he can’t let go of the sport just yet.
Florian Mayer (D.O.B = 05/10/1983) Mayer was another top-20 player who
scored wins over some of the best players such as Nadal, Murray, Thiem, Ferrer,
and Soderling. The German retired at the US Open in 2018 after 17 years on the tour.
Mayer is living a quiet life in Austria. Robin Soderling (D.O.B = 14/08/1984)
You may not remember Mayer but the chances are that you would remember
Robin Soderling as the first player to defeat Rafael Nadal at the French Open.
Although mononucleosis put an end to his high-flying career prematurely in 2011,
he former top-5 player hasn’t stopped loving the sport. After his retirement in 2015,
he coached Elias Ymer for a while before captaining the Swedish 2021
Davis Cup Finals team. The Swede currently lives in Stockholm with his family. We've
got his countryman on the list too. Joachim Johansson (D.O.B = 01/07/1982)
Johansson reached the semifinals of the US Open in 2004, broke into the top 10,
and won 3 singles titles throughout his career but persistent injuries prevented him from reaching
his full potential. He retired in 2008 after just 8 years on the tour and although he came back,
he was a shadow of his former self and just faded into thin air. Shortly after his retirement,
he was a consulting coach for the Swedish Tennis Federation. Since his retirement, he has been
managing several businesses including one that develops the talents of young tennis players.
Mikhail Youzhny (D.O.B = 25/06/1982) Youzhny was another top-10 player who
made it to the quarterfinals of all slams, going a step further at the US Open. After his retirement
in 2018, he set his sights on coaching. He was hired by Denis Shapovalov and has remained a
part of his team. Last year, he released a book about Tennis as a game and profession. Youzhny
has done a lot of traveling recently and is one of the more active players of his generation on
social media like this next guy. Juan Monaco (D.O.B = 29/03/1984)
Only a few people are enjoying their retirement more than the Argentine. The former world number
10 retired in 2017. Skip to 2020, he was already engaged to his longtime girlfriend. Last year,
they welcomed their baby and tied the knot. He also spends some of his time on Summa Sport,
an entertainment initiative he co-founded. Moving over to Spain,
I've got 2 top guys for you. Tommy Robredo (D.O.B = 01/05/1982)
Just like Federer, Robredo began his professional career in 1998 and retired this year.
The Spaniard called time on his career at the Barcelona Open after almost 900 games.
The former world number 5 remains the only player in Open Era history to mount three
consecutive comebacks from two sets down, and we won’t easily forget him on the tour.
A new chapter has arrived for Robredo who welcomed his first child in March 2021. He
has said that he’ll be dedicating himself to his family and daughter but he didn't rule out the
possibility of being involved in tennis again. Robredo is also heavily involved in Wheelchair
Tennis running the Open Anti Silvas. Feliciano Lopez (D.O.B =20/09/1981)
One of the greatest late-bloomers of all time. We thought this guy was
never gonna retire but all things must come to an end. Amid the new year buzz,
he announced that he won’t be on the tour for the new season. 25 years on the tour,
a top-15 ranking, a slam in doubles. It’s been a remarkable ride for the 41-year-old Spaniard.
Let's check out the few players left. Xavier Malisse (D.O.B = 19/07/1980)
The Belgian was a Top-20 player at his peak and won the French Open in doubles. He first retired
in 2013 after about 15 years on the tour but came back in 2016 and in 2021 to play doubles. After
retiring in 2013, Malisse assumed a coaching role and worked with fellow Belgian Kimmer
Coppejans but the partnership was short-lived and Malisse admitted he had rushed into coaching
too quickly. For now, the 42-year-old looks to be having a lot of fun playing doubles.
Andreas Seppi (D.O.B = 21/02/1984) Seppi retired shortly after Federer
did in October last year. He was the first Italian to win a title on all three surfaces.
After a career that lasted almost 2 decades with wins over Federer, Nadal, and Wawrinka,
the Italian called it a day. With no concrete plans for his retirement at the moment, he stated
that being a full-time coach was not part of his plans and that he would be at his home in Boulder,
Colorado while his kids continue their education. Guillermo Coria (D.O.B 13/01/1982)
In his prime, no one came close to Coria on clay court. Unfortunately,
he ended his 9-year professional career in 2009 at the age of 27. The following year,
he began to coach his younger brother, Federico. Coria welcomed his kids in 2012 and 2013 after
almost 9 years of marriage and as of 2016, he was traveling around Argentina managing
the government-funded program "Our Tennis", where he helps to develop talents in children
and teens. Early last year, he made his debut as the new captain of the Argentina
Davis Cup team. Talking about Davis Cup captains we've also got Gilles Muller.
Gilles Muller (09/05/1983) Still the most successful male tennis player from
Luxembourg, Muller’s powerful left-handed serve brought him just shy of the Top-20. He retired in
2018 with 2 titles and 2 quarter-final appearances at slams. Following his retirement, he was
appointed as Luxembourg's Davis Cup team captain. Quick but easy question: Why do many retired
players become Davis cup captains? Nicolas Mahut (D.O.B 21/01/1982)
Remember Mahut? The guy who set the record for the longest match in tennis history with John Isner.
Well, he completed the career grand slam in the doubles category in
2019 having become the world number one in doubles a few years earlier.
Where is he now? Sweating it out on the court. The Frenchman is still playing
at 40 unlike his compatriot, Llodra. Michael Llodra (D.O.B = 18/05/1980)
This video wouldn’t be complete without including the best volleyer on the tour.
The talented Frenchman had a decent singles career but was much more successful in doubles
winning slams before retiring in 2014. Where is Llodra now? Probably somewhere
in France. **
And then we have Janko Tipsarevic - A former Top 10 player who retired in 2019.
The Serbian now spends more time parenting, being a DJ, and supporting FC Barcelona.
And there’s Jarko Nieminem who retired in 2015. He’s now captaining Finland’s men’s
national team and running commentaries at the Finnish Eurosport during Grand Slam tournaments.
A generation overshadowed by Roger Federer and to some extent, the other members of the Big
3. Many of these players have followed similar paths, turning to their family,
pursuing other interests, or remaining active with new roles in tennis. In some way,
their careers put Roger Federer’s greatness into perspective seeing that he dominated
th best players in his generation emphatically and outlasted almost
all of them. But where are the stars of the 90s? Only one way to find out.