A 40-year-old grand slam champion is real possibility
LONDON: When a super-fit, 37year- old Ken Rosewall hoisted the Australian Open trophy in 1972, chances are he did not spend too much time dwelling on how long he would stay as the oldest men’s grand slam champion.
After all he came close to eclipsing his own mark at the 1974 Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals, only to be denied by a brash 22year- old American upstart called Jimmy Connors.
Yet for all the astonishing feats of excellence shown by champions of the calibre of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi or Connors, that record has been out of reach for 45 years.
But according to Bill Norris, the ATP’s former Director of Medical Services who spent 35 years patching up the broken and sore bodies of players from Rosewall to Roger Federer, advances in sports science mean it is not inconceivable that a 40-year- old could soon be triumphing at the majors.
“I don’t think ( a 40-year- old winning a major) is far fetched. It is very possible,” Norris told Reuters in a telephone interview from his home in Boca Raton, Florida.
“Ken Rosewall was way into his years when he played in the 74 (Australian and Wimbledon) finals, he was incredible.
“With today’s players, they have the advantage of sports sciences, we know more about the body than ever before. Players know how to prepare better.”
That has certainly proved to be true over the past year. For the first time since Australian great Rod Laver swept the majors in 1969, Wimbledon could become the fourth successive grand slam title to fall into the lap of a player over 30.
Stan Wawrinka started the run at last year’s U.S. Open, followed by a 35-year-old Federer at Melbourne Park and Rafa Nadal in Paris.
Wimbledon marked the first time in the professional era that the top five seeds - Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Wawrinka - at a slam were all over 30. — Reuters