Waterworks Down Under

Why is it when someone wins and cries people can't help but say, "wow he/she is so passionate about their sport" and "winning really meant a lot to them."  But when someone loses and then cries you're more often to hear someone say, "wow suck it up pal it's just a game" or "man that guy is acting like a huge bitch right now."  The reason is from a young age kids are taught to be good sports and to lose with dignity and honor.  Some people grow up and forget this simple rule however and in the case of Roger Federer maybe never had to learn the rule at all.

Federer was the god of tennis for roughly 4 years when it seemed like he would never be beaten.  This reign came to a crashing end last year when he lost to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon and there was a, god i hate this saying, "changing of the guard."  Now Federer seems human, is no longer the #1 seed in the world, and isn't even the favorite to win tournaments.  Things were looking bad for Roger and after the Australian Open they are looking a lot worse.

After losing a marathon match to Nadal 7-5 3-6 7-6 3-6 6-2 Federer broke down into tears ala Evelyn Gardner of the Rockford Peaches.  A man that was once the god of tennis was reduced to sobbing as he was beaten by his arch nemesis in a grand slam tournament for the third straight time.

I think the reason that Federer may have let the waterworks fly is because he is so unfamiliar with losing.  He has been a winner for so long that when he finally lost he just copied what the people he had beaten in the past did.  He cried just like they cried.

Federer is my favorite tennis player so it is hard for me to watch him become this sad story but in reality there is still a lot of fight in him.  If he would stop crying and realise that he is still a phenomenal tennis player then he might win that 14th grand slam and pass Pete Sampras and cement his legacy as greatest tennis player to ever live.