WIMBLEDON, England -- In team sports someone else makes the decision. You're traded or waived or, in that left-to-twist-in-the-wind category unique to baseball, designated for assignment.

In tennis, however, it's all about ego. And doubt.

The great ones, and arguably Roger Federer was the greatest of all, sooner or later must come to the realization they have slipped, and even a trifle is too much when you've been at the top.

The athlete knows but won't admit it. Success is constructed as much on confidence as a big serve or a punishing forehand. If he didn't believe, he wouldn't be a champion. So he offers all sorts of explanations.

Still, the athlete knows.

And the suspicion is Federer, a few weeks from his 29th birthday, knows all too well. Which is the reason he was so defensive, so full of excuses after what he, and we, saw as a stunning defeat in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

Federer was beaten by a 24-year-old from the Czech Republic, Tomas Berdych, and then tried to persuade us, meaning to persuade himself, that he, Roger Federer, lost the match, rather than that Berdych won it.

"I didn't come up with the good stuff when I had to,'' was what Federer said. What he didn't say was, "That's perhaps because I no longer am able.''

The press conference was embarrassing for someone who had won a record 16 Grand Slam tournaments. The words were those of a man in denial, a man whose status demanded more.

Berdych was lucky, said Federer, who claimed he was uncomfortable because of a sore leg. "I was struggling with my game,'' said Federer, "and my (physical condition).''

We've seen this before, heard this before. The athlete without uncertainties treats a loss as an aberration. "The other guy outplayed me,'' he might confide. And moves on. But the way Federer reacted you sensed he was thinking what John McEnroe was thinking.

"He's a human being,'' McEnroe, the former Wimbledon winner and current NBC commentator said of Federer, "and he may face the fact he may never win another thing. But I would say it's unfair to focus on that yet.''

No more unfair than the remarks by Federer. "You can't concentrate on each and every point because you feel pain sometimes,'' he said. "I've been feeling bad for the last two or three matches now ... I was just not playing well enough, and when he had to he was able to come up with some good stuff. But I definitely gave this match away.''

What he didn't give away were the compliments due Berdych, who had been on the cusp of breaking through and now, adding the French Open, has been in consecutive semifinals at Grand Slams.

While, having been eliminated in the quarters of the same two tournaments, Federer made neither after reaching the semis of 23 straight Slams going back to the '04 Wimbledon, which he won.

What Federer did give away was his thought process. He doesn't have to tell us what he can do - "If I'm healthy, I can handle those guys'' - just do it.

If you're too hurt to play, is the sporting axiom, then don't play. Certainly don't whine.

Venus Williams, who at 30 seems similarly about to descend from the heights, also lost in the quarters, the day before Federer. "Were there any niggles or injury worries'' she was asked, "you could put down to the fact you didn't play your best?'' Venus quickly answered, "I don't talk about injuries ever.''

Champions never do. Except for Federer, who intentionally or unintentionally diminished a brilliant performance by Berdych.

"I feel bad,'' Mary Carillo, the ESPN and NBC analyst pointed out. "Berdych played the match of his life and had to defend his win.''

For roughly the last half-dozen years, Federer has had to defend titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Australian. He had been in every Wimbledon final from 2003 through 2009.

Maybe the pressure of playing at such a high level finally proved too much, especially when apparently he can no longer play at that high level. But his lack of sportsmanship after the defeat was both appalling and surprising.

"I don't know if he was just looking for some excuses after the match or something like that,'' said Berdych, when confronted with Federer's observations.

"You can say he was unlucky, or maybe you can say his opponent was a little bit better, and he just won the big points against him.''

What we can say is Roger Federer owed it to tennis and to Tomas Berdych to lose with the class he once showed in winning.