By Andrea Mastronuzzi
Growing up it is customary for a person to mark their birthday by making a wish before blowing out the candles on their cake.
Roger Federer will be taking part in this tradition today as he marks his 41st birthday. What might he wish for? To return to full health, to win another major title or simply just to return to the Tour might be among his options. Unfortunately such wishes don’t always come true but some do. Such as the five-year pledge Federer made to a young fan during the 2017 US Open.
The Swiss maestro has fulfilled the wishes of a child who is now entering into his teenage years. His name is Izyan Ahmad, but everyone calls him Zizou. He is number 1 in the United States in the under-12 category for tennis. Five years ago Zizou decided not to keep his dream to himself anymore because sitting infront of him was the very person who could make it happen. Taking part in a special press conference at the 2017 US Open, thanks to a USTA initiative he was part of, a calm and confident Zizou asked his idol Federer this question: “Could you play another 8 or 9 years so I can play you when I go pro?.” He replied that he would come back specially to play with him on a tennis court and, pressed by Zizou, assured him it was a promise.
Thanks to Barilla Izyan has achieved his dream by playing against King Roger in his home city of Zurich. The way the boy was welcomed in Switzerland, his surprise at the attention he received, his initial reaction to seeing Federer and the rallies he played against the former world No.1 are some of the scenes of the new short film for Barilla. “The Promise” is the title of the film which, according to Barilla’s Chief Marketing Officer, Gianluca Di Tondo, represents “another beautiful example of what ‘A Gesture of Love’ means for Barilla”. The Italian company is very focused on enriching everyday life by uniting people through spontaneous acts arising from sincere and disinterested affection.
“Whatever Roger Federer does when he relates to others seems to come naturally to him, effortlessly, and that’s what continues to amaze everyone he meets,” says Di Tondo.
It is not the first time that the Swiss champion has come up with simple actions yet so powerful as to turn the day of those lucky ones into the best day of their lives. Also in collaboration with Barilla, King Roger fulfilled the dream of two Ligurian girls who became famous for trying to play tennis on the roof of a building during the lockdown and of a Sardinian woman who had asked him out to dinner by waving a sign during a match of the 20-time Slam champion in Madrid in 2019. Gestures that represent visible signs of those values so dear to Italo Calvino and applied by Federer even with the racket in his hand: lightness (in the sense of harmonious simplicity), accuracy, speed, multiplicity, consistency and visibility (not ostentatious).
Roger is so human. Yet, at the same time, divine. Some years ago, Gianni Clerici* said he saw Federer as a reincarnation of the tennis god that secretly oversees the game. Today is his 41st birthday and for the first time Gianni will not be able to dedicate some lines to him from this planet. He may be able to send his wishes directly to that “tennis god” from whom the Swiss originated. Going on meandering amid nostalgia, it is also the first time Federer will be celebrating his birthday without having any ATP ranking since turning pro.
On the other hand, there is also room for feelings that do not look back, but rather project themselves into the future, like the wishes that are expressed when blowing out candles. Federer’s birthday precedes his return to court, after a year in which he was missed by his sport and his fans probably even more than he missed playing an official match. He will return in ‘his’ Laver Cup and then in ‘his’ Basel. Whether it will be a just to say goodbye or to reignite his record-breaking career remains to be seen.
Happy birthday, Roger!!
41 NOUNS FOR FEDERER
Elegance, victory, sportsmanship, ease, serenity, jauntiness, talent, regality, style, fluidity, variety, refinement, humanity, empathy, likeability, humility, fatherhood, fraternity, fragility, constancy, temperance, agility, originality, freshness, calmness, ambition, naturalness, correctness, availability, kindness, love, emotionality, surprise, charisma, enthusiasm, lightness, consistency, multiplicity, visibility, rapidity, accuracy.
Translated by Kingsley Elliot Kaye
*Gianni Clerici is a celebrated Italian Journalist, Hall of Famer. He is also the author of Tennis, 500 years of the game, a milestone in tennis history literature. He passed away on 22 June 2022, aged 91 [Translator’s Note].
