"Federer" redirects here. For other uses, see Federer (disambiguation).
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Roger Federer Roger Federer (26 June 2009, Wimbledon) 2 new.jpg
Federer at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships
Country Switzerland Switzerland
Residence Wollerau, Switzerland and Dubai, United Arab Emirates[1]
Born 8 August 1981 (age 32)
Basel, Switzerland
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[2]
Turned pro 1998
Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Coach(es) Adolf Kacovsky (1991)
Peter Carter (1991–2000)
Peter Lundgren (2000–03)
Tony Roche (2006–07)
Severin Luthi (2007–present)
Jose Higueras (2008)
Paul Annacone (2010–13)
Stefan Edberg (2014–present)
Prize money
$ 80,216,627
1st all-time leader in earnings
Official website rogerfederer.com
Singles
Career record 941–217 (81.26% in ATP World Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles 78 (3rd in the Open Era)
Highest ranking No. 1 (2 February 2004)
Current ranking No. 8 (3 March 2014)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open W (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010)
French Open W (2009)
Wimbledon W (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
US Open W (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals W (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011)
Olympic Games Silver Medal (2012)
Doubles
Career record 123-83 (59.71% in ATP World Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles 8
Highest ranking No. 24 (9 June 2003)
Current ranking No. 358 (3 March 2014)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 3R (2003)
French Open 1R (2000)
Wimbledon QF (2000)
US Open 3R (2002)
Other Doubles tournaments
Olympic Games Gold Medal (2008)
Team competitions
Davis Cup SF (2003)
Hopman Cup W (2001)
Olympic medal record[hide]
Competitor for Switzerland
Men's Tennis
Gold 2008 Beijing Doubles
Silver 2012 London Singles
Last updated on: 13 January 2014.
Roger Federer (German pronunciation: [ˈfeːdərər]; born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player who, as of February 2014, is ranked world no. 8 by the ATP. He has been ranked inside the top 10 continuously since May 2002. Numerous commentators, pundits, and former and current players of the sport regard Federer as the greatest tennis player of all time.[a]
He holds several men's world records of the Open Era: holding the world no. 1 position for 302 weeks overall;[16][17] including a 237-consecutive-week stretch at the top from 2004 to 2008;[18] winning 17 Grand Slam singles titles; reaching the finals of each Grand Slam tournament at least five times (an all-time record); and reaching the Wimbledon final eight times. He is one of seven men, and one of four in the Open Era, to capture the career Grand Slam. Federer also shares the Open Era record for most titles at the Australian Open with Agassi and Novak Djokovic (4), at Wimbledon with Pete Sampras (7) and at the US Open with Jimmy Connors and Sampras (5).
Federer has appeared in 24 men's Grand Slam finals, with 10 in a row, both records, and appeared in 18 of 19 finals from the 2005 Wimbledon Championships through to the 2010 Australian Open. He is the only man to reach at least the semifinals of 23 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, from the 2004 Wimbledon Championships through the 2010 Australian Open.[19] At the 2014 Australian Open, he extended his record to 34th Grand Slam semi-final and reached a record 41st Grand Slam quarter-final (shared with Connors), and at the 2013 French Open reached a record 36th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final. He has also won the most matches, 265, in men's Grand Slam tournaments.
Federer's ATP tournament records include winning six ATP World Tour Finals, playing in the finals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (a record shared with Djokovic and Nadal), and having won the most prize money of any player in history, with over $80,000,000. He also won the Olympic gold medal in doubles with his compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the Olympic silver medal in singles at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He spent eight years (2003–2010) continuously in the top 2 in the year-end men's rankings and ten (2003–2012) in the top 3. Federer is the first tennis player, male or female, to earn more than 50 million US dollars in prize money.
Federer has won the ATPWorldTour.com Fans' Favourite Award a record eleven times straight (2003–2013) and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (voted for by the players) a record nine times (2004–2009, 2011–2013),[20] both being awards indicative of respect and popularity. He also won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award twice in 2006 and 2013. He was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record four consecutive years (2005–2008).[21] Federer is at times referred to as the Federer Express,[22] shortened to Fed Express or FedEx, and the Swiss Maestro,[22] or just Maestro.[22][23][24][25] Federer is the first Swiss male player to win a grand slam tournament.
Contents
1 Personal life
1.1 Childhood and early life
1.2 Family
1.3 Management
1.4 Philanthropy and outreach
2 Tennis career
2.1 Pre–1998: Junior years
2.2 1998–2002: Early career and breakthrough in the ATP
2.3 2003–2007: Breakthrough and dominance
2.4 2008 to 2013: Dominance of the Big Four
2.4.1 2008
2.4.2 2009
2.4.3 2010
2.4.4 2011
2.4.5 2012
2.4.6 2013
2.4.7 2014
3 Rivalries
3.1 Federer vs. Nadal
3.2 Federer vs. Djokovic
3.3 Federer vs. Murray
3.4 Federer vs. Roddick
3.5 Federer vs Hewitt
3.6 Federer vs. Safin
4 Legacy
5 Playing style
6 Equipment and apparel
6.1 Equipment
6.2 Apparel
7 Endorsements
8 Career statistics
8.1 Grand Slam tournament performance timeline
8.2 Year-end championship performance timeline
8.3 Olympic Games
8.3.1 Singles: 1 (0–1)
8.3.2 Doubles: 1 (1–0)
8.4 Records
8.4.1 All-time tournament records
8.4.2 Open Era records
9 See also
10 Notes
11 References
12 Further reading
12.1 Video
13 External links
13.1 Profiles
Personal life
Childhood and early life
Federer was born at the Basel Cantonal Hospital in Basel, Switzerland.[1] His father, Robert Federer, is Swiss, from Berneck, near the borders between Switzerland, Austria and Germany, and his mother, Lynette Federer (born Durand), from Kempton Park, Gauteng, is a South African whose ancestors were Dutch and French Huguenots.[26][27][28] Federer has one sibling, his older sister Diana.[29] He holds both Swiss and South African citizenship.[30] He grew up in nearby Birsfelden, Riehen and then Münchenstein, close to the French and German borders and speaks (Swiss) German, French and English fluently, German being his native language.[1][28][31][32]
Federer was raised as a Roman Catholic and met Pope Benedict XVI while playing the 2006 Internazionali BNL d'Italia tournament in Rome.[33] Like all male Swiss citizens, Federer was subject to compulsory military service in the Swiss Armed Forces. However, in 2003 he was deemed unfit because of a long-standing back problem and was subsequently not required to fulfill his military obligation.[34] He grew up supporting F.C. Basel and the Swiss National Football Team.[35] Federer also credits the range of sports he played as a child—he also played badminton and basketball—for his hand-eye coordination. Federer has stated in various interviews that he is an "avid cricket fan" having met Sachin Tendulkar twice. "I was always very much more interested if a ball was involved," he says. Most tennis prodigies, by contrast, play tennis to the exclusion of all other sports.[36] In later life, Federer has been friends with the golfer Tiger Woods.[37]
Family
Roger and Mirka at Wimbledon during the London 2012 Olympic tennis events
Federer's family watching him in Indian Wells, 2012
Federer's family watching him in Indian Wells, 2012
Federer's signature in 2013
Federer is married to former Women's Tennis Association player Mirka Vavrinec. He met her while both were competing for Switzerland in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Vavrinec retired from the tour in 2002 because of a foot injury.[38] They were married at Wenkenhof Villa in Riehen near Basel on 11 April 2009, surrounded by a small group of close friends and family.[39] On 23 July 2009, Mirka gave birth to identical twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva.[40] The Federers are expecting a third child in 2014[41] .
Management
Federer was signed by IMG as a junior player in 1998. He quit the agency in early 2003, before he had any major championships, and handed his business matters to Roger Federer Management conformed by an attorney, a financial adviser and his mother, Lynette. Also Miroslava Vavrinec, for a period of time was put in charge of media relations and travel.[42]
By 2012 when Tony Godsick left IMG Worldwide Inc. he began to represent Federer exclusively. He travels with him around the tour most of the time.[42][43]
Philanthropy and outreach
Federer supports a number of charities. In 2003 he and his mother Lynette established the Roger Federer Foundation to help disadvantaged people and to promote sports.[44][45] In 2005, he auctioned his racquet from his US Open championship to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina.[46] He was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF in 2006.[47] At the 2005 Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Federer arranged an exhibition involving several top players from the ATP tour and WTA tour called Rally for Relief. The proceeds from the event went to the victims of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Since then, he has visited South Africa and Tamil Nadu, one of the areas in India most affected by the tsunami.[48]
Federer has also appeared in UNICEF public messages to raise public awareness of AIDS. In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Federer arranged a collaboration with fellow top tennis players Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams, Lleyton Hewitt, and Sam Stosur to forgo their final day of preparation for the 2010 Australian Open to form a special charity event called Hit for Haiti, in which all proceeds went to Haiti earthquake victims.[49] He was named a 2010 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in recognition of his leadership, accomplishments, and contributions to society.[50]
Similar to the 2010 event, Hit for Haiti, Federer organized and participated in a charity match called Rally for Relief on 16 January 2011, to benefit those that were affected by the 2010–2011 Queensland floods.
Federer is currently no. 31 on Forbes top 100 celebrities as of May 2012.[51]
Tennis career
Pre–1998: Junior years
Main article: Roger Federer junior years
Federer's main accomplishments as a junior player came at Wimbledon in 1998, where he won both the boys' singles final over Irakli Labadze,[52] and in doubles teamed with Olivier Rochus, defeating the team of Michaël Llodra and Andy Ram.[53] In addition, Federer lost the US Open Junior final in 1998 to David Nalbandian. He won four ITF junior singles tournaments in his career, including the prestigious Orange Bowl, where he defeated Guillermo Coria in the final.[54] He ended 1998 with the no. 1 junior world ranking, and he entered his first tournament as a professional during 1998 in Gstaad, where he lost to Lucas Arnold Ker in the first round.
Junior Grand Slam Results:
Australian Open: SF (1998)
French Open: 1R (1998)
Wimbledon: W (1998)
US Open: F (1998)
1998–2002: Early career and breakthrough in the ATP
Main article: Roger Federer's early career
A dark-haired man in all white clothing, and carrying a reddish-black bag on his right shoulder and a black one on the left shoulder
Federer at the 2002 US Open
Federer's first final came at the Marseille Open in 2000, where he lost to fellow Swiss Marc Rosset.[55] Federer won the 2001 Hopman Cup representing Switzerland, along with Martina Hingis.[56][57] The duo defeated the American pair of Monica Seles and Jan-Michael Gambill in the finals. Federer's first singles win was at the 2001 Milan Indoor tournament, where he defeated Julien Boutter.[55] Although he won his first title already in 1999 on the Challenger tour, winning the doubles event in Segovia, Spain with Dutchman Sander Groen, the final was played on Federer's 18th birthday. In 2001, Federer made his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open, and at Wimbledon that same year defeated four-time defending champion Pete Sampras to reach the quarterfinals. The most prestigious event final he reached during this period was the 2002 Miami Masters event, where he lost to Andre Agassi on hard court.[58]
Federer won his first Master Series event at the 2002 Hamburg Masters on clay, over Marat Safin; the victory put him in top 10 for the first time.[58] Federer made 10 singles finals between 1998 and 2002, of which he won four and lost six.[55][58][59][60][61] He also made six finals in doubles. Of note are Federer and partner Max Mirnyi's defeat in the final of the Indian Wells Masters in 2002, and their victory in the same year in the final of the Rotterdam 500 series event. Federer had won the latter a year earlier with partner Jonas Björkman.[58][61] He finished 2001 with an ATP ranking of no. 13, and 2002 was the first year he finished within the top 10, finishing at no. 6.
2003–2007: Breakthrough and dominance
Main articles: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 Roger Federer tennis seasons
In 2003, Federer won his first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, beating Mark Philippoussis in the final.[62] Federer won his first and only doubles Masters Series 1000 event in Miami with Max Mirnyi[63] and made it to one singles Masters Series 1000 event in Rome on clay, which he lost.[62] Federer made it to nine finals on the ATP Tour and won seven of them, including the 500 series events at Dubai and Vienna.[62] Lastly, Federer won the year-end championships over Andre Agassi, finishing the year as world no. 2, narrowly behind Andy Roddick.[62]
During 2004, Federer won three Grand Slam singles titles for the first time in his career and became the first person to do so since Mats Wilander in 1988. His first Grand Slam hard-court title came at the Australian Open over Marat Safin, thereby becoming the world no. 1 for the first time. He then won his second Wimbledon crown over Andy Roddick.[64] Federer defeated the 2001 US Open champion, Lleyton Hewitt, at the US Open for his first title there.[64] Federer won three ATP Masters Series 1000 events, one was on clay in Hamburg, and the other two were on hard surfaces at Indian Wells and in Canada.[64] Federer took the ATP 500 series event at Dubai and wrapped up the year by winning the year-end championships for the second time.[64] He improved his year-end ranking to world no. 1 for the first time.
A dark-haired man is waving to the crowd with his tennis racket in his right hand, and he is wearing all white clothing
Federer during the 2005 Wimbledon Championships, where he won his third consecutive title
In 2005, Federer failed to reach the finals of the first two Grand Slam tournaments, losing the Australian Open semifinal to eventual champion Safin and the French Open semifinal to eventual champion Rafael Nadal.[65] However, Federer quickly reestablished his dominance on grass, winning the Wimbledon Championships over Andy Roddick. At the US Open, Federer defeated Andre Agassi in the latter's last Grand Slam final.[65] Federer also took four ATP Masters Series 1000 wins: Indian Wells, Miami, and Cincinnati on hard court, and Hamburg on clay.[65] Furthermore, Federer won two ATP 500 series events at Rotterdam and Dubai.[65] Federer lost the year-end championships to David Nalbandian, but maintained his position as world no. 1.[65]
In 2006, Federer won three Grand Slam singles titles and reached the final of the other, with the only loss coming against Nadal in the French Open. He was the first man to reach all four finals in a calender year since Rod Laver in 1969. This was Federer and Nadal's first meeting in a Grand Slam final.[66] Federer defeated Nadal in the Wimbledon Championships final. In the Australian Open, Federer defeated Marcos Baghdatis,[66] and at the US Open, Federer defeated Roddick (2003 champion).[66] In addition, Federer made it to six ATP Masters Series 1000 finals, winning four on hard surfaces and losing two on clay to Nadal. Federer won one ATP 500 series event in Tokyo and captured the year-end championships for the third time in his career, again finishing the year as world no. 1.[66]
In 2007, Federer reached all four Grand Slam singles finals, winning three of them again. He won the Australian Open over Fernando González and did so without dropping a set, Wimbledon over Rafael Nadal for the second time, and the US Open over Novak Djokovic. Federer lost the French Open to Nadal.[67] Federer made five ATP Masters Series 1000 finals in 2007, winning the Hamburg and Cincinnati titles.[67] Federer won one 500 series event in Dubai and won the year-end championships.[67] He finished as the year-end world no. 1 for the fourth year in a row, demonstrating his dominance, and in these four years he won 11 Grand Slams.
2008 to 2013: Dominance of the Big Four
Main articles: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 Roger Federer tennis season
A dark-haired man is in a red shirt with white shorts and shoes and bandanna, which he is carrying his tennis racket in his right hand pointing towards the ground
Federer at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where he won a gold medal in doubles
2008
In 2008, Federer won one Grand Slam singles title at the US Open over Briton Andy Murray.[68] Federer was defeated by Nadal in two Grand Slam finals, at the French Open, and at Wimbledon, when he was going for six straight wins to break Björn Borg's record.[68] At the Australian Open, Federer lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Djokovic, which ended his record of 10 consecutive finals.[68] Later in the year, it was found Federer had been suffering from mononucleosis at the start of the year, including during the Australian Open. He lost twice in Master Series 1000 finals on clay to Nadal, at Monte Carlo and Hamburg.[68] However, Federer captured two titles in 250-level events at Estoril and Halle and one title in a 500 level event in Basel. At the Olympic Games, Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka won the gold medal in doubles,[69] but Federer could only reach the quarterfinals in the singles draw, knocked out by then world no. 8 James Blake.[70] He ended the year as world number 2.
External images Federer on the Cover of Sports Illustrated After 2009 French Open Victory
2009
In 2009, Federer won two Grand Slam singles titles, the French Open over Robin Söderling, and Wimbledon over Andy Roddick.[71] Federer reached two other Grand Slam finals, losing to Nadal at the Australian Open,[72] and to Juan Martín del Potro at the US Open, both in tight five-set matches.[71] Federer won two more events, the first at the Madrid Masters over Nadal on clay.[71] The second was in Cincinnati over Djokovic, although Federer lost to Djokovic in Basel, later in the year.[71] Federer completed a career Grand Slam by winning his first French Open title and won a men's record fifteenth Grand Slam singles title by defeating Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in five sets, surpassing Pete Sampras's mark of fourteen.[71]
2010
In 2010, Federer slowed down in his milestones and achievements. The year started with a win at the Australian Open,[73] where he defeated Andy Murray in the final and extended his Grand Slam singles record to sixteen titles, matching Andre Agassi's record of four Australian Open titles.[68] At the French Open, Federer won his 700th tour match and 150th tour match on clay.[73][74] However, he failed to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since the 2004 French Open, losing to Söderling in the quarterfinals and relinquishing his no. 1 ranking,[73] having been just one week away from equaling Pete Sampras's record of 286 weeks as world no. 1. In a huge upset at Wimbledon, Federer lost in the quarterfinals to Tomáš Berdych and fell to no. 3 in the rankings for the first time in 6 years and 8 months.[73][75][76]
At the 2010 US Open, Federer reached the semifinals, avenging his French Open loss to Söderling in the quarterfinals, but proceeded to lose a five-set match to third seed Novak Djokovic.[73] Federer made it to four Masters 1000 finals, losing three of them (the Madrid Open, the Canadian Masters, and the Shanghai Masters), while winning the Cincinnati Masters against Mardy Fish.[77]
In 2010, Federer equaled Agassi for the number of Masters wins at 17 and tied Björn Borg's mark for number of total titles won, moving to just one behind Sampras. Towards the middle of July, Federer hired Pete Sampras' old coach Paul Annacone on a trial basis to put his tennis game and career back on the right path.[78]
Federer won two lesser titles at the Stockholm Open and the Davidoff Swiss Indoors, which brought his tally to 65 career titles. Lastly, Federer won the year-end championships by beating rival Rafael Nadal, for his fifth title at the event. He showed much of his old form, beating all contenders except Nadal in straight sets. Since Wimbledon 2010, Federer had a win-loss record of 34–4 and had multiple match points in two of his losses: to Novak Djokovic in the semifinal of the US Open, and to Gaël Monfils in the semifinal of the Paris Masters. Federer did not play in the 2010 Davis Cup[79] and finished the year as world no. 2.
2011
The 2011 season, although great by most players' standards, was a lean year for Federer. He was defeated in straight sets in the semifinals of the 2011 Australian Open by eventual champion Novak Djokovic,[80] marking the first time since July 2003 that he did not hold any of the four Grand Slam titles. In the French Open semifinals, Federer ended Djokovic's undefeated streak of 43 consecutive wins with a stunning four-set victory. However, Federer then lost in the final to Rafael Nadal. At Wimbledon, Federer advanced to his 29th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, but lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It marked the first time in his career that he had lost a Grand Slam match after winning the first two sets.
At the US Open, Federer lost a much-anticipated semifinal match with Novak Djokovic, after squandering two match points in the fifth set, which repeated his previous year's result against Djokovic and added a second loss from two sets up in Grand Slam play to his record. The loss at Flushing Meadows meant that Federer did not win any of the four Grand Slams in 2011, the first time this has happened since 2002. Later that month, in September 2011, in a South African poll, Federer was voted the second most trusted and respected person in the world, next to Nelson Mandela.[81][82]
In pulling out of the 2011 Shanghai Masters, Federer dropped out of the top 3 for the first time since June 2003, nearly 8 1/2 previously.[83] However, he finished the season on a high note by winning his last three tournaments of the year. He ended a 10-month title drought (spanning since the Qatar Open in January) and won the Swiss Indoors for the fifth time, defeating youngster Kei Nishikori, who had defeated an ailing Djokovic in the semifinals. Federer followed this up with his first Paris Masters title, where he became the first player to reach all nine Masters 1000 finals.
At the 2011 ATP World Tour Finals, Federer crushed Rafael Nadal in exactly one hour en route to the semifinals,[84] where he defeated David Ferrer to reach the final at the year-end championships for the seventh time, his 100th tour-level final overall. As a result of this win, Federer also regained the world no. 3 ranking from Andy Murray. In the final, he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the third consecutive Sunday and, in doing so, claimed a record sixth ATP World Tour Finals title, finishing the year as world no. 3.[85]
Federer's ATP position since 1998
Overview of Federer's ATP rankings since 1998
2012
Federer at 2012 US Open
Federer began his 2012 season with the Qatar Open, where he withdrew in the semifinals. He then played in the 2012 Australian Open, where he reached the semifinals, setting up a 27th career meeting with Nadal, a match he lost in four tight sets. He participated in the Davis Cup representing Switzerland in the 2012 Davis Cup World Group, but Switzerland was eliminated in a home tie against the United States played on indoor clay in Fribourg. The loss included a four-set defeat for Federer at the hands of John Isner, as well as a tight four-set loss with Stanislas Wawrinka in the doubles rubber against Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan. He then played the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament for the first time since winning the title in 2005. He beat Juan Martin del Potro in the final to clinch his second title in Rotterdam.
Federer played in the 2012 Dubai Tennis Championships, where he defeated Andy Murray in the final, improved his record against him to 7–8, and won the championship title for the fifth time in his career. Federer then moved on to the Indian Wells Masters, where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, and John Isner in the final. Federer won the title for a record fourth time, and, in doing so, equalled Rafael Nadal's record of 19 ATP Masters 1000 titles.
Federer then lost in the third round of the Miami Masters to Andy Roddick in three sets. Federer went on to compete at the Madrid Masters on the new blue clay surface, where he beat Milos Raonic, Richard Gasquet, David Ferrer, Janko Tipsarević, and Tomáš Berdych en route to the title, thus regaining the world no. 2 ranking from Rafael Nadal. Federer then participated in the Italian Open in Rome, where he won over Carlos Berlocq, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Andreas Seppi, en route to the semifinals, where he was defeated in straight sets by the defending champion and 2012 runner-up Novak Djokovic. In the French Open, Federer won matches against Tobias Kamke, Adrian Ungur, Nicolas Mahut, David Goffin, and Juan Martín del Potro, before he lost in the semifinals to Djokovic.[86] At the Gerry Weber Open, Federer lost to an inspired Tommy Haas in the final.[87]
At Wimbledon, Federer won matches against Albert Ramos, Fabio Fognini, Julien Benneteau, Xavier Malisse, and Mikhail Youzhny on his way to the semifinals. In his semifinal match-up against the world no. 1 Novak Djokovic, Federer earned a record eighth Wimbledon final appearance after dispatching Djokovic in four sets. Federer defeated Andy Murray in four sets in the 2012 Wimbledon final,[88] regaining the world number-one ranking in the process.[89] "It's amazing. It equals me with Pete Sampras, who's my hero. It just feels amazing," Federer said of winning his seventh Wimbledon championship, tying Sampras' Open Era record.[90] By defeating top-ranked Djokovic in the semifinals and winning in the finals, Federer returned to the top spot in the world rankings and, in doing so, broke Sampras' record of 286 weeks atop the list.[91]
Four weeks after the Wimbledon final, Federer again faced Murray on the Wimbledon centre court, this time for the final of the 2012 Summer Olympics. This came after an epic 4-hour 26-minute semifinal against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina that Federer won 19–17 in the third and final set.[92] He lost to Murray in straight sets in the final, winning a silver medal for his country.[93]
Federer did not play in the Rogers Cup, but he won in Cincinnati, beating Novak Djokovic soundly in the final.[94] In the US Open, five-time champ Federer was defeated by Tomáš Berdych in the quarterfinals.[95] In the Shanghai Rolex Masters, defeating Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round, Federer confirmed his 300th week at no. 1. He went on to lose to defending champion Murray in the semifinals. Following his defeat against Juan Martín del Potro in the title match at the Swiss Indoors,[96] Federer withdrew from the Paris Master,[97] thus losing his chance to finish as year-end no. 1 for a sixth time. Federer made it to the finals of the ATP World Tour Finals, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in two tight sets.[98][99]
2013
Federer was beaten by Andy Murray in the semifinals of the 2013 Australian Open. Murray won the fifth set, defeating Federer for the first time in a Grand Slam.[100] Roger Federer suffered a shock two-set defeat to Julien Benneteau in Rotterdam. He was defeated by Berdych in the semifinals of the Dubai Open Tennis Championship, and at Indian Wells had a quarterfinal defeat to nemesis Nadal.[99] As a result, the 2013 season is the first since 1999 in which Federer has failed to reach a final in the first four months of the year.
He skipped Miami Masters and Monte-Carlo Masters. He then returned to Madrid to defend his title, suffering a surprise defeat in the third round to Kei Nishikori in three sets. Federer rebounded to reach his first final of the year in Rome Masters, but was crushed there by the defending champion Rafael Nadal. Roland Garros was also a disappointment for Federer, losing to an inspired Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in three easy sets in the quarterfinals.
Federer's first title of 2013 came at the Gerry Weber Open (def. Mikhail Youzhny), where he also played doubles with good friend Tommy Haas. With the victory in Halle, he tied John McEnroe for the third-most number of ATP titles won by a male player in the Open Era.[101] Despite his disappointing results to start the season, he aimed to repeat the Halle/Wimbledon double he first achieved 10 years ago during the grass-court swing. Federer, however, was unable to maintain his form into Wimbledon, suffering his worst Grand Slam defeat since 2004 in the second round against Sergiy Stakhovsky. Not only did the loss end Federer's record streak of 36 consecutive quarterfinals at major tournaments,[102] it meant he would drop out of the top 4 for first time since July 2003, exactly 10 years after he won his first Wimbledon title.[103]
After Wimbledon, Federer entered two clay-court tournaments at the last minute: Hamburg and Gstaad. In Hamburg, he made it to the semifinals, again losing to a player outside the top hundred, Argentine Federico Delbonis. At Gstaad, he lost in the second round to German Daniel Brands (after getting bye in first round), probably due to back problems. He played these two tournaments with a new raquet with a larger head, but returned to his old raquet for the North American hard-court swing.
Federer skipped Montreal, but appeared in Cincinnati to defend his title there. He lost in the quarterfinals to Nadal, who was having an incredible run of victories, including Montreal and Cincinnati. Federer lost to Tommy Robredo in the fourth round of the U.S. Open.[104]
In Shanghai, he lost in the second round to Gaël Monfils. Two days later, he announced that he was parting ways with Paul Annacone, his coach for the last three years.[105] He made it to the final in Basel, succumbing to Juan Martín del Potro. He won two of his round-robin matches at the ATP World Tour Finals, but lost to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.
On 27 December 2013, Federer announced that Stefan Edberg was joining his team as co-coach with Severin Lüthi.[106]
2014
Main article: 2014 Roger Federer tennis season
Federer opened his season at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, where he reached the final. He lost to Lleyton Hewitt in three sets. He proved his worth at the Australian Open by defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round, and then Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Federer was defeated in straight sets by Rafael Nadal.
He then played in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, thereby improving his record to 17-15 overall and 13-12 on hard courts against Djokovic, then defeated Tomáš Berdych in the final to win his sixth Dubai crown and his first title since Halle in 2013.[107]
Federer is through to the semi-finals at Indian Wells with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Kevin Anderson.
Rivalries
See also: Big Four (tennis)
Federer vs. Nadal
Main article: Federer–Nadal rivalry
Nadal and Federer during the 2006 Wimbledon Championships final
Federer and Nadal have been playing each other since 2004 and their rivalry is a significant part of both men's careers.[108][109][110][111][112]
They held the top two rankings on the ATP Tour from July 2005 until 17 August 2009, when Nadal fell to world no. 3 (Andy Murray became the new no. 2).[113] They are the only pair of men to have ever finished six consecutive calendar years at the top. Federer was ranked no. 1 for a record 237 consecutive weeks beginning in February 2004. Nadal, who is five years younger, ascended to no. 2 in July 2005 and held this spot for a record 160 consecutive weeks, before surpassing Federer in August 2008.[114]
Nadal leads their head-to-head 23–10. Of their 33 matches, 15 have been on clay, which is by far Nadal's best surface.[115] Federer has a winning record on grass (2–1) and indoor hard courts (4–1), while Nadal leads the outdoor hard courts (8–2) and clay (13–2).[116] Because tournament seedings are based on rankings, 20 of their matches have been in tournament finals which have included an all-time record eight Grand Slam finals.[117] From 2006 to 2008, they played in every French Open and Wimbledon final. They then met in the 2009 Australian Open final and the 2011 French Open final. Nadal won six of the eight, losing the first two Wimbledon finals. Three of these finals were five set-matches (2007 and 2008 Wimbledon, 2009 Australian Open), with the 2008 Wimbledon final being lauded as the greatest match ever by many long-time tennis analysts.[118][119][120][121] Of their 33 meetings, 11 have reached a deciding set. They have also played in a record 10 Masters Series finals (tied with Nadal-Djokovic finals), including their lone five-hour match at the 2006 Rome Masters which Nadal won in a fifth-set tie-break, having saved two match points.
Federer vs. Djokovic
Main article: Djokovic–Federer rivalry
Federer and Djokovic have met 32 times with Federer leading 17–15.[122][123] Federer leads 1–0 on grass and 13–12 on hard-courts. They are tied 3–3 on clay. The Federer–Djokovic rivalry is the largest rivalry in Grand Slam history with a record 11 matches played against each other and Federer leading 6–5. Djokovic is the only player besides Nadal to defeat Federer in consecutive Grand Slam tournaments (2010 US Open and 2011 Australian Open), and the only player besides Nadal and Murray who has double-figure career wins over Federer. Djokovic is one of two players (the other again being Nadal) currently on tour to have defeated Federer in straight sets at a Grand Slam (2008 Australian Open, 2011 Australian Open, 2012 French Open) and the only player to do so three times. Of their 29 meetings, 11 have reached a deciding set.
Federer ended Djokovic's perfect 41–0 start to the 2011 season in the semifinals of the French Open, but Djokovic was able to avenge this loss at the 2011 US Open in five sets after saving two match points against Federer for the second straight year.[124] In the semifinals of Wimbledon 2012, Federer beat defending champion and world no. 1 Djokovic in four sets.[125] Many experts have included the rivalry between Federer and Djokovic as one of the best rivalries in the Open Era.[126]
Federer vs. Murray
Federer and Andy Murray have met 21 times with the series led 11–10 by Murray. Murray leads 10–9 on hard courts, and they are tied 1–1 on grass.[127] The two have met five times at the Grand Slam level, the first three times in the finals, Federer winning all three of these matches; at the 2008 US Open[128] and the 2010 Australian Open,[129] both of which he won in straight sets, and at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships in which Murray took the opening set, but went on to lose in four sets. However, Murray won their encounter in the semifinals of the 2013 Australian Open, defeating the Swiss for the first time at a Grand slam tournament in five sets. At the 2014 Australian Open, Federer reversed that result, defeating Murray in four sets in the quarterfinals.
They met in the final of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, in which Murray defeated Federer in straight sets, denying the Swiss maestro a career Golden Slam. Murray also leads 6–1 in ATP 1000 tournaments, 2–0 in finals. They have also met four times at the ATP World Tour Finals with Murray winning in Shanghai in 2008,[130] and Federer in London in 2009, 2010, and 2012.[131] Apart from Rafael Nadal, Murray is the only other active player to have a positive head-to-head record against Federer, as well as being one of only three players to have recorded 10 or more victories over Federer (the other two being Nadal and Novak Djokovic).
Federer vs. Roddick
Main article: Federer–Roddick rivalry
One of Federer's longstanding rivalries was with American Andy Roddick. Roddick lost his world no. 1 ranking to Federer after Federer won his first Australian Open in 2004. Federer and Roddick met on 24 occasions, including four Grand Slam finals (three at Wimbledon and one at the US Open). Federer's record is 21–3, making Roddick the ATP player with the most tournament losses to Federer.[132] Roddick himself said it was not much of a rivalry, being so one-sided.
In the 2009 Wimbledon final, Roddick lost to Federer in five sets. The match included a fifth set of 30 games (a Grand Slam final record) and was over four hours long. In the final game of the deciding set, Roddick's serve was broken for the first time in the match. With that victory, Federer broke Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles, and Roddick apologized to Sampras (who was there) for not being able to hold Federer.
Federer vs Hewitt
Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer have played each other on 27 occasions. Early in their careers, Hewitt dominated Federer, winning seven of their first nine meetings, including a victory from two sets down in the 2003 Davis Cup semifinal which allowed Australia to defeat Switzerland. However, from 2004 onward, Federer has dominated the rivalry, winning 16 of the last 18 meetings to emerge with an 18–9 overall head-to-head record. This is Hewitt's longest rivalry as these two first played each other as juniors in 1996. They have met in one Grand Slam final, the 2004 US Open final, where Federer won his first US Open title in a lopsided encounter in which Federer scored a bagel either side of a second set tiebreak. Federer has met Hewitt at six of the Grand Slam tournaments in which he lifted the trophy, including all five of his triumphs between 2004 and 2005. Their most recent meeting was at the 2014 Brisbane International, where Hewitt triumphed over Federer in three sets for his first title since 2010, when he also beat Federer to the Halle title.[citation needed]
Federer vs. Safin
Marat Safin and Federer played each other 12 times, with Federer leading 10–2.[133] Federer and Safin turned pro within one year of each other, with Safin turning pro in 1997 and Federer in 1998. Federer leads 4–1 on hard courts, 3–0 on grass, and 3–0 on clay courts, while Safin leads 1–0 on carpet. Notable meetings include Federer's defeating Safin at the 2002 Hamburg Masters to win the first Masters 1000 title of his career, as well as Federer emerging victorious in the semifinals of the 2004 Tennis Masters Cup, after winning a tiebreak 20–18 on his eighth match point. Federer also defeated Safin in the finals of the 2004 Australian Open to capture his first Australian Open and second Grand Slam title. However, Safin defeated Federer in the 2005 Australian Open semifinals, having saved one match point in the fourth-set tiebreak, to end a 26-match winning streak by Federer.[134] They met each other five times in Grand Slams, with Federer leading 4–1.
Legacy
Federer has been regarded by many pundits, coaches, past and present players as the greatest tennis player of all time.[135][136][137] He dominated the game at his peak and has more grand slam titles than any other men's singles player.[138][139] He is also the first ever men's singles player to have reached 10 consecutive grand slam finals and a total of 24 grand slam finals.[140][141] He is regarded to be a great ambassador of the sport and a great gentleman.[142]
Playing style
Federer at the 2007 Davidoff Swiss Indoors.
Federer's serve
Federer's versatility has been summarised by Jimmy Connors: "In an era of specialists, you're either a clay court specialist, a grass court specialist, or a hard court specialist...or you're Roger Federer."[143]
Federer is an all-court, all-round player known for his speed, fluid style of play, and exceptional shot making. Federer mainly plays from the baseline but is also comfortable at the net, being one of the best volleyers in the game today.[citation needed] He has a powerful, accurate smash and very effectively performs rare elements in today's tennis, such as backhand smash, half-volley and jump smash (slam dunk). David Foster Wallace compared the brute force of Federer's forehand motion with that of "a great liquid whip",[144] while John McEnroe has referred to Federer's forehand as "the greatest shot in our sport."[145] Federer is also known for his efficient movement around the court and excellent footwork, which enables him to run around shots directed to his backhand and instead hit a powerful inside-out or inside-in forehand, one of his best shots.
Federer plays with a single-handed backhand, which gives him great variety. He employs the slice, occasionally using it to lure his opponent to the net and deliver a passing shot. Federer can also fire topspin winners and possesses a 'flick' backhand with which he can generate pace with his wrist; this is usually used to pass the opponent at the net.[144] His serve is difficult to read because he always uses a similar ball toss, regardless of what type of serve he is going to hit and where he aims to hit it, and turns his back to his opponents during his motion. He is often able to produce big serves on key points during a match. His first serve is typically around 200 km/h (125 mph);[146][147][148] however, he is capable of serving at 220 km/h (137 mph).[146][147] Federer is also accomplished at serve and volleying,[149] and employed this tactic frequently in his early career.[150]
Later in his career Federer added the drop shot to his arsenal and can perform a well-disguised one off both wings. He sometimes uses a between-the-legs shot, which is colloquially referred to as a "tweener" or "hotdog". His most notable use of the tweener was in the semifinals of the 2009 US Open against Novak Djokovic, bringing him triple match point, on which he capitalised for a straight-set victory over the Serb.[151]
Equipment and apparel
Equipment
Federer currently plays with a customised Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 90 BLX tennis racquet,[152] which is characterised by its smaller hitting area of 90 square inches, heavy strung weight of 364 grams, and thin beam of 17.5 millimeters. His grip size is 4 3/8 inches (sometimes referred to as L3).[153] Federer strings his racquets at 21.5 kg mains/20 kg crosses pre stretched 20%, using Wilson Natural Gut 16 gauge for his main strings and Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power Rough 16L gauge (polyester) for his cross strings.[153] When asked about string tensions, Federer stated "this depends on how warm the days are and with what kind of balls I play and against who I play. So you can see – it depends on several factors and not just the surface; the feeling I have is most important."[154]
Apparel
Federer has a contract with Nike footwear and apparel.[155] For the 2006 championships at Wimbledon, Nike designed a jacket emblazoned with a crest of three tennis racquets, symbolising the three Wimbledon Championships he had previously won, and which was updated the next year with four racquets after he won the Championship in 2006.[156] In Wimbledon 2008 and again in 2009, Nike continued this trend by making him a personalised cardigan.[157] He also has his own logo, an R and F joined together.[158]
Endorsements
Federer is one of the highest-earning athletes in the world. He is listed at number two on Forbes World's Highest Paid Athletes list.[159] As of 2013 he remains the top earner in tennis with ten endorsement deals. He makes 40 to 50 million euros a year from prize money and endorsements from Nike and the Swiss companies Credit Suisse, Rolex, Lindt and Jura Elektroapparate. In 2010 his endorsement by Mercedes-Benz China was extended into a global partnership deal.[160] His other sponsors include Nationale Suisse, Gillette, Wilson and Moët & Chandon.[42][159][161]
Previously, he was an ambassador for NetJets and Maurice Lacroix.[162]
Career statistics
Main article: Roger Federer career statistics
Grand Slam tournament performance timeline
Information in these tables is updated only once the player's participation in the tournament has concluded.
Tournament 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 SR W–L Win %
Australian Open A LQ 3R 3R 4R 4R W SF W W SF F W SF SF SF SF 4 / 15 73–11 86.90
French Open A 1R 4R QF 1R 1R 3R SF F F F W QF F SF QF 1 / 15 58–14 80.56
Wimbledon A 1R 1R QF 1R W W W W W F W QF QF W 2R 7 / 15 67–8 89.33
US Open A LQ 3R 4R 4R 4R W W W W W F SF SF QF 4R 5 / 14 67–9 88.16
Win–Loss 0–0 0–2 7–4 13–4 6–4 13–3 22–1 24–2 27–1 26–1 24–3 26–2 20–3 20–4 19–3 13–4 5–1 17 / 59 265–42 86.31
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