Idril

By Kate Battersby

Don’t feel sorry for Roger Federer

不要為羅傑‧費德勒感到遺憾

A horrible trap lies in wait for all of us when discussing an underdog losing a match, and we’re never likelier to plunge headfirst into it than when a legend of the game is beaten by a world No.1 on the biggest stage of all.

當討論一場比賽的輸家時，一個可怕的陷阱在等著我們，而當我們在談論的是一位網壇現役傳奇在最重要的舞台被世界第一擊敗，我們更可能魯莽的跳入其中。

We find ourselves applying a peculiar lexicon to the legend, of the kind suitable for some kind of cuddly toy. We reduce him to an adorable mascot for whom victory would have been a bonus, and who no longer experiences defeat as a lacerating wound. We do it because he is not 22 any more, and because he is loved.

我們發現自己對這位網壇傳奇使用特定的語彙，彷彿在談論的是某種絨毛玩具。我們將他降格為一個可愛的吉祥物，勝利之於他只是錦上添花，一場落敗也不會再為他帶來新的傷口。我們這麼做只因他不再是22歲的小伙子，只因他被球迷深愛著。

Just don’t expect Roger Federer to thank you for it. He may be loved, but he has no interest in being adorable.

醒醒吧！別期待羅傑‧費德勒為了這種「貼心」舉動感謝你。他或許被深愛，但他絕對沒興趣被當作吉祥物。

What he sought from the Wimbledon final 2015 was victory. He wanted to be the first man to take eight titles here. He wanted his 18th Grand Slam.

費德勒追求的是在2015年溫布敦決賽的勝利，他想成為史上第一位捧起第八座溫布敦金盃的男子球員，想要屬於他的第18座大滿貫。

If that would have made him, at 33 years 338 days, the oldest champion here since the game turned professional, then so be it. What he absolutely specifically did not care about was next time, or last time, or any other time. He wanted what Novak Djokovic wanted, with the same stinging ambition as the Serb.

如果決賽的勝利能讓這位現年33歲又338天的網球選手，成為溫布敦開放年代以來最年長的冠軍，那就只是一個既定的事實罷了。費德勒真正在乎的，不在這個既定事實會在下一次，前一次，或是任何時候實現，他真正渴望的就如同喬科維奇所渴望的一樣，而且是與塞爾維亞人同樣強烈的企圖心。

The hateful bottom line is this: on this day, Federer wasn’t good enough, and he knows it better than anyone. The champion defended his title 7-6(1), 6-7(10), 6-4, 6-3. For all the wonder of that second set, Federer had two points to win the first. What if he had led two sets to love? No point asking. He didn’t win it. Saving seven set points on the way to grabbing the second may have been astonishing to witness at courtside or on television worldwide, but it still left Federer an unconquerable distance from victory.

然而結果並不如意：決賽這天，費德勒的發揮依然不夠好，沒有任何人比他更了解這點。衛冕冠軍以7-6(1),6-7(10),6-4,6-3的比分成功保衛了頭銜。在第二盤上演的大驚奇之前，費德勒與第一盤的勝利也不過兩分之差。假設他領先兩盤呢？事後諸葛已毫無意義，事實是，他沒能拿下那一盤。躲過七個盤末點進而贏下第二盤，或許在場邊或全球轉播中看起來都很驚人，但此舉依然無法讓他縮短與勝利的距離。

He lost, and he doesn’t want anyone’s sympathy, or – shudder – pity. To accept it would serve only to cheapen all that he achieved in his pomp. If there was no need for allowances back then, there is no need now.

費德勒失敗了，而他不想要任何人的安慰，或是更令人皺眉的說法─憐憫。接受這些同情的目光只會貶低他過去所創造的光輝榮耀。如果過去費德勒不需要別人的認可，那麼現在也不會需要。

“It’s always a mental and physical challenge to keep going, keep going,” he said tiredly. “I had chances. He got the break in the first set on a forehand I should not miss. Happy that I won the second set but still know I’m a long way away. A pity I couldn’t make more of the momentum. I couldn’t take advantage of the rain. I still won six matches. Lost one.”

「想要保持前進，永遠是對身心的巨大挑戰。」賽後費德勒疲倦地表示。「我有過機會，我在第一盤錯失了一個正拍讓他(喬科維奇)破發。雖然高興能贏下第二盤，但我知道距離勝利還有很長距離。很可惜我不能更強勢，我不能好好利用雨後的暫停，我還是贏了六場比賽，輸了一場。」

In these post-match Q&As, he excels at betraying as little of his private hurt as possible, remaining at his most elaborately unruffled answering questions which effectively request that he bleed in front of the media. But the truth was evident in what was unsaid.

在這些賽後訪談中，費德勒最擅長的就是盡可能掩飾個人的創傷，臨危不亂精心地回答那些單刀直入、好讓他在媒體前盡顯脆弱的問題。但顯而易見的是，真相往往在那些被保留的話語裡。

Witness his demeanour throughout the trophy presentation. Without ever erring towards the unsportsmanlike, he could hardly bear to look at Djokovic even fleetingly. Set aside any thoughts of dislike between them – the Swiss used unusually strong language this Fortnight to refute suggestions by Djokovic’s coaching consultant Boris Becker of any such thing. So let’s be clear – what turned Federer’s stomach was defeat.

目睹費德勒在整場頒獎典禮展現的風度，很難將他難以忍受注視喬科維奇(即使只是匆匆一瞥)的舉動，錯誤地解讀為缺乏運動家精神。姑且擱置任何兩人不合的想法─瑞士人在兩周當中反常地以強烈措辭反駁了貝克任何關於不合的暗示，後者現在擔任喬科維奇的教練團顧問。所以讓我們認清一點─是挫敗讓費德勒倒胃口。

“You walk away empty-handed,” he said. “For me a finalist’s trophy is not the same. Everybody knows that. I would have loved to win. There’s no doubt about that.”

「你兩手空空地離開，」他說道。「對我來說一個決賽獎盃是完全不一樣的，大家都知道這點，我希望獲勝，這點無庸置疑。」

He could not bring himself to gaze upon the famous golden trophy in the hands of another. When he was required to walk a circuit of the Centre Court with the plate he earned as runner-up, it was apparent in his body language that there could be nothing worse requested of him – and above all things, he could not lift the plate to the crowd. After all, someone might think that this was the trophy he actually wanted.

費德勒難以接受自己必須眼睜睜看著著名的金盃捧在別人手中。當他被要求拿著亞軍獎盤走進中央球場中，從他的肢體語言中明顯感受到，對他來說沒有比這更糟的事了。比以上幾點更難受的是，費德勒無法對著觀眾舉起獎盤，畢竟，有些人可能會認為實際上這就是他想要的戰利品。

“I’m not going to accept losing and say it’s normal because I lost against the world No.1,” said Federer. “It’s not normal. I’ve beaten him. I’m one of the few guys that’s got a chance. I believed I was going to come through as the winner. I’m right there. My game is good.”

「我不會因為輸給世界第一，就坦然接受失敗，視為理所當然。」費德勒表示。「這不是理所當然，我曾經擊敗過他，我是少數有這個機會的球員，我相信我可以做到並且成為贏家，我就在那裡，我可以表現得很出色。」

Courtesy is one of Federer’s on-court signatures, so do him the courtesy of judging him by the standards you judge all others. If you must make allowances, then make allowance only for brilliance – his own, and his opponent’s. Make allowance for that mind-blowing second set. Make allowance for the fact that out of seven billion people on this planet, the only one nearer to touching perfection in the art of tennis was on the opposite side of the net.

風度是費德勒在場上的標誌之一，所以請幫他做件有風度的事：以你評斷其他球員的標準來評斷他。如果你非得為他找個理由，那麼請只考慮到「才華」─不只是他自己的才華，以及他的對手的才華。考慮到讓人精神振奮的第二盤，考慮到一個事實：全球七十億人中，只有網子對面那人，曾經臻於網球技藝的完美境界。

The sporting super-elite are not interested in coming second. What drives their necessarily lop-sided existence is a near-manic focus on victory. Nobody gets to be a legend by accident. It’s no use imagining that Roger Federer does not possess the same raging need to win on the basis that he looks nice and is a polite sort of chap.

What was it he said on court in those moments after defeat? Ah yes: “I am still very hungry and motivated and a match like this is very helpful.” 

這些運動超級精英們沒有興趣當第二，驅使他們成為壓倒性存在的，是對勝利近乎瘋狂的專注。沒有任何人是靠僥倖成為傳奇，想像費德勒的溫文儒雅導致他欠缺與其他人同等的，對勝利的極度渴望完全是不切實際。想想賽後費德勒在場上時刻所說的？是的：「我仍然渴望並且積極地想求勝，這樣的比賽對我很有幫助。」

That chilly little phrase, “very helpful”… terrifying. Take it as read – Roger Federer lost, and that knowledge is burning him alive.

令人膽寒的說法，「很有幫助」……可怕！可以很肯定的─羅傑‧費德勒輸了，而這個事實讓他的鬥志更加旺盛！