Federer sets his own rules

Sport is a young man’s game, we keep on getting told. Once you hit 30 your best days are behind you, by the time you reach 35 you might as well book your place in a retirement home.

Try telling that to Roger Federer.

Considering he is one of the greatest sportsmen to ever grace the planet it seems strange to be shocked at the wonderful tennis he is producing and the number of titles he is still winning. But this time last year he was injured, and the common consensus was that his trophy-hogging days were all but over.

Fast forward 12 months and the 36 year old has added two Grand Slams and three Masters titles to his already huge trophy cabinet. While younger players such as Novak

Djokovic and

Andy Murray have been forced to take time out to heal their battered bodies, Federer looks like he is getting better with age. His sublime performance in Shanghai underlined that when on top form no one can touch him.

He has adapted his game and his season timetable to put him in the best position to prove he is still the best player in the world. And even though it is still three months away, it is hard to see anything other than a Federer victory at the Australian Open, in what would be a 20th Grand Slam title.

For so much of his career he has defied what people thought possible — both in terms of number of Grand Slam titles and the sheer artistry of his game. Now he is proving that sport is not necessarily a young man’s game and tennis and sport is all the better for it.