Roger Federer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Roger Federer | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Residence | Oberwil, Switzerland | |
| Date of birth | August 8, 1981 | |
| Place of birth | Basel, Switzerland | |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |
| Weight | 80.0 kg (176 lb/12.60 st) | |
| Turned pro | 1998 | |
| Plays | Right-handed; one-handed backhand | |
| Career prize money | $43,268,419 | |
| Singles | ||
| Career record: | 606–146 | |
| Career titles: | 56 | |
| Highest ranking: | No. 1 (February 2, 2004) | |
| Grand Slam results | ||
| Australian Open | W (2004, 2006, 2007) | |
| French Open | F (2006, 2007, 2008) | |
| Wimbledon | W (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) | |
| US Open | W (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) | |
| Major tournaments | ||
| Masters Cup | W (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007) | |
| Olympic Games | 4th place (2000) | |
| Doubles | ||
| Career record: | 112–71 | |
| Career titles: | 8 | |
| Highest ranking: | No. 24 (June 9, 2003) | |
| Major doubles tournaments | ||
| Olympic Games |  Gold Medal (2008) |
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Infobox last updated on: September 8, 2008. |
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| Olympic medal record | |||
Competitor for  Switzerland |
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| Tennis | |||
| Gold | 2008 Beijing | Men's Doubles | |
Roger Federer (pronounced /ˈrɒdʒə ˈfɛdərər/;[1] born August 8, 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. 2. He was the World No. 1-ranked player for a record 237 consecutive weeks, from February 2, 2004, through August 17, 2008. Many tennis critics, legendary players, and current players consider him the greatest tennis player ever.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Federer has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, five Wimbledon, five US Open), four Tennis Masters Cup titles, and 14 ATP Masters Series titles. Federer holds many records in the game, including having appeared in 10 consecutive Grand Slam men's singles finals (2005 Wimbledon Championships through the 2007 US Open) and 18 consecutive Grand Slam singles semifinals (2004 Wimbledon - present). He also holds the open era records for consecutive wins on both grass courts (65) and hard courts (56). At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Federer won the men's doubles gold medal for Switzerland, partnering with Stanislas Wawrinka. He has a storied rivalry with Rafael Nadal, who succeeded him as the World No. 1 player.
In 2008, he was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record fourth consecutive time.[9]
Contents
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Early life
Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Swiss-German Robert Federer and South African Lynette Federer (née Durand).[10] He grew up in suburban Münchenstein, ten minutes from Basel and close to the borders of France and Germany.[11] In addition to tennis, he also played football as a boy and considered becoming a professional footballer before deciding to pursue a career in tennis. He continues to support FC Basel, his hometown club and is a fan of Italian club AS Roma.[12][13] As a youngster, he enjoyed watching Marcelo Ríos in action.[14] He especially liked Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Marcelo Ríos and has cited them as idols.[15].
Junior tennis
Federer started playing tennis at the age of six.[16] He began participating in group lessons at the age of nine and began weekly private coaching when he was ten. He also played football until the age of twelve when he decided to focus solely on tennis.[17] At fourteen, he became the national champion of all groups in Switzerland and was chosen to train at the Swiss National Tennis Center in Ecublens. He joined the ITF junior tennis circuit in July 1996.[18] In 1998, his final year as a junior, Federer won the junior Wimbledon title and the prestigious year-ending Orange Bowl. He was recognized as the ITF World Junior Tennis champion of the year.[19]
Career on the ATP
In July 1998, Federer joined the ATP tour at Gstaad. The following year he debuted for the Swiss Davis Cup team against Italy and finished the year as the youngest player (for the year) inside ATP's top 100 ranking. In 2000, Federer reached the semifinals at the Sydney Olympics and lost the bronze medal match to Arnaud di Pasquale of France. Federer reached his first final in Marseille which he lost to Marc Rosset and was also the runner-up in Basel. He failed to make an impression at Grand Slams and Masters Series tournaments, and ended the year ranked 29th.
(All results and ranking history from ATP)[20].
2001
Federer's first ATP tournament victory came in February, when he defeated Julien Boutter in the final of the Milan Indoor, where his tennis idol Stefan Edberg had won his first career title in 1984. During the same month, he won three matches for his country in its 3–2 Davis Cup victory over the United States. He later reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, defeating four-time defending champion and seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round in a closely fought match, a victory that many consider to be the turning point of his career, as well as ending Sampras's 31-match winning streak in the tournament.[21] He finished the year ranked 13th.
(All results in 2001)[22]
2002
Federer reached his first ATP Masters Series (AMS) final at the Miami Masters, where he lost to Andre Agassi. He won his next AMS final in Hamburg. He also won both his Davis Cup singles matches against former world number ones, Russians Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov). Despite early-round exits at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open and the untimely, devastating loss of his long-time Australian coach and mentor, Peter Carter, in a car crash in August,[23] Federer reached No. 6 in the ATP Champions Race by the end of the year and thus qualified for the first time in the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup. His run at the tournament was ended in the semifinals by then #1 seeded and ranked Lleyton Hewitt (who eventually went on to win the Cup).
(All results in 2002)[24]
2003
Federer challenged for the top ranking in men's tennis during 2003, finishing the year at World No. 2 just behind Andy Roddick and just ahead of Juan Carlos Ferrero.
In the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, Federer lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open to David Nalbandian. He then won two hard court tournaments in Marseille and Dubai before being upset in early round matches at the Tennis Masters Series (TMS) tournaments in Indian Wells, California and Key Biscayne, Florida.
On clay, Federer won the tournament in Munich, was the runner-up at the TMS tournament in Rome, and lost in the third round of the TMS tournament in Hamburg. Although Federer was seeded fifth at the French Open, he lost to Luis Horna in the first round.
Federer won both of the grass court tournaments he played. He defeated Nicolas Kiefer in the final of the tournament in Halle before winning his first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon. He defeated Roddick in the semifinals and Mark Philippoussis in the final and lost only one set during the tournament, to Mardy Fish in the third round.
During the North American summer hard court season, Federer lost to Roddick in the semifinals of the TMS tournament in Montreal and to Nalbandian in the second round of the TMS tournament in Cincinnati. At the US Open, Nalbandian again defeated Federer, this time in the fourth round.
During the autumn, Federer played four consecutive indoor tournaments in Europe. He won the tournament in Vienna but failed to reach the finals of the tournament in Basel and the TMS tournaments in Madrid and Paris.
To end the year, Federer won the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston. As the third-seeded player, he defeated Andre Agassi, Nalbandian, and Ferrero during the round robin phase before beating top-seeded Roddick in the semifinals and Agassi in the final.
2004
Federer had one of the most dominating and successful years in the open era of modern men's tennis.[26] He won three of the four Grand Slam singles tournaments, did not lose a match to anyone ranked in the top ten, won every final he reached, and was named the ITF Tennis World Champion.[27] His win–loss record for the year was 74–6 with 11 titles.
Federer won his first Australian Open singles title by defeating Marat Safin in the final in straight sets. This win helped him succeed Andy Roddick as the World No. 1, a ranking he would hold for four years until August 18, 2008. He successfully defended his Wimbledon singles title by defeating Roddick in the final and won his first US Open singles title by defeating Lleyton Hewitt in the final. Federer was the top-seeded player at the Athens Olympics but lost in the second round to Tomáš Berdych 4–6, 7–5, 7–5. Federer finished the year by taking the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston for the second consecutive year, defeating Hewitt in the final. Federer's only loss at a Grand Slam tournament was at the French Open, where he lost to former World No. 1 and 3-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten in straight sets.
Federer did not have a coach during 2004, relying instead on his fitness trainer Pierre Paganini, physiotherapist Pavel Kovac, and a management team composed of his parents, his girlfriend and manager Mirka Vavrinec, and a few friends.[28]
2005
To begin the year, Federer hired former Australian tennis player Tony Roche to coach him on a limited basis.[30] He then reached the Australian Open semifinals before falling to eventual winner Marat Safin in a five-set night match that lasted more than four hours, 5–7, 6–4, 5–7, 7–6(6), 9–7.[31] He rebounded to win the year's first two ATP Masters Series (AMS) titles: Indian Wells (by defeating Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in straight sets) and Miami (by defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain in five sets after being down two sets to love). He won his third Hamburg clay court title in May by defeating Richard Gasquet, to whom he had earlier lost in Monte Carlo. He then entered the French Open as one of the favorites, but lost in the semifinals in four sets to eventual winner Nadal.
Federer successfully defended his Wimbledon title, winning for the third consecutive year by defeating Andy Roddick in a rematch of the previous year's final. Federer also defeated Roddick in Cincinnati to take his fourth AMS title of the year (and sweep all the American AMS events) and become the first player in AMS history to win four titles in one season.[32] He then dropped only two sets en route to his second consecutive US Open title, defeating Andre Agassi in four sets in the final. He became the first man in the open era to win Wimbledon and the US Open back-to-back in consecutive years (2004 and 2005). He failed to defend his Tennis Masters Cup title, however, losing to David Nalbandian of Argentina in a four-and-a-half hour, five-set match (He was playing with an injury to his ankle).[33] Had he won the match, he would have finished the year 82–3, tying John McEnroe's 1984 record for the highest yearly winning percentage in the open era.
(All results in 2005)[34]
2006
Federer won three of the four Grand Slam singles tournaments and ended the year ranked number one, with his points ranking several thousand points greater than that of his nearest competitor, Rafael Nadal.[35] Federer won the year's first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open, by defeating Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. In March, Federer successfully defended his titles at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters, and became the first player ever to win the Indian Wells-Miami double in consecutive years. Federer then started the clay-court season by reaching the final of the ATP Masters Series (AMS) event at Monte Carlo losing in four sets to Rafael Nadal. He then reached a consecutive AMS final, along with Nadal, at the Rome Masters where it seemed as though Federer would finally defeat his rival on clay; however, Nadal won the epic five-set match, which lasted five hours, in the decisive tiebreak after saving two match points.[36] Federer chose not to defend his title at the Hamburg Masters, where he had won in the previous two years. At the French Open, Federer lost in the final to defending champion Nadal in four sets. Had he won the French Open, he would have completed a career Grand Slam and become the first man since Rod Laver to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles at the same time. Although the clay Grand Slam title eluded him, he became one of only two then-active players who had reached the finals of all four Grand Slam singles tournaments, the other being Andre Agassi.[37]
Federer entered Wimbledon as the top seed and reached the final without dropping a set. There, Federer beat Nadal in four sets to win the championship. This was Federer's fourth consecutive Wimbledon title. Federer then started his North American tour and won the 2006 Rogers Cup in Toronto, defeating Richard Gasquet of France in the final. In the year's last Grand Slam tournament, the US Open, he defeated American Andy Roddick in four sets for his third consecutive title at Flushing Meadows. During the open era, 2006 is the only year in which same man (Federer) and woman (Justine Henin) reached the finals of all four Grand Slams. At the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup at Shanghai, Federer defeated defending champion David Nalbandian in one of his three round robin matches and Nadal in a semifinal. Federer then defeated American James Blake 6–0, 6–3, 6–4 in the final to win his third Masters Cup title. In 2006, Federer lost to only two players: Nadal in the French Open, Rome, Monte Carlo, and Dubai finals; and Andy Murray in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters. The Cincinnati loss to Murray was Federer's only straight-sets loss of the year and the only tournament out of 17 (Davis Cup excluded) in which he did not reach the final.
(All results in 2006)[38]
2007
Federer won his third Australian Open and tenth Grand Slam singles title when he, as defending champion, won the tournament without dropping a set, defeating Fernando González of Chile in the final. He was the first man since Björn Borg in 1980 to win a Grand Slam singles tournament without losing a set.[39] His winning streak of 41 consecutive matches ended when he lost to Guillermo Cañas in the second round of the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, after winning this tournament three consecutive years. At the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, Federer again lost to Cañas, this time in the fourth round in three sets. He was awarded four ATP Awards during a ceremony at the tournament, making him the first player to receive four awards during the same year.[40] [41]
Federer started his clay-court season by reaching his second consecutive final of the Monte Carlo Masters. As in 2006, he lost to second seeded Rafael Nadal. Federer lost in the third round of the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome to Filippo Volandri.[42] This defeat meant he had gone four tournaments without a title, his longest stretch since becoming World No. 1.[42] On May 20, 2007, however, Federer defeated Nadal on clay for the first time, winning the Hamburg Masters tournament, and ending Nadal's record of 81 consecutive match wins on clay.[43] At the French Open, Federer reached the final for the second consecutive year but lost to Nadal for the third consecutive time. The day after the final, Federer announced that he was withdrawing from the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, which he had won the last four years. He cited fatigue and fear of getting an injury.[44] He therefore entered Wimbledon for the first time without having played a warm-up grass-court tournament. Despite this, Federer once again defeated Nadal in the final, however Nadal was able to push Federer into a fifth set, with his last five-set match at Wimbledon coming from 2001 where he beat Pete Sampras. With the win over Nadal, Federer tied Björn Borg's record of five Wimbledons in a row.
Federer won the Cincinnati Masters title for the second time, beating James Blake in the final, to collect his 50th career singles title, his 14th ATP Masters Series title, and the 2007 US Open Series points race.
In the US Open final, Federer beat third seed Novak Djokovic. It was Federer's 12th Grand Slam title, tying Roy Emerson. As champion of the US Open Series points race, Federer received a bonus of $1 million, in addition to the $1.4 million prize for winning the US Open singles title.[45]
Federer entered the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup where he lost his first round robin match to the 2007 Australian Open runner-up, Fernando González, 3–6 7–6(1) 7–5 . This marked the first time a player had defeated Federer in the round robin of the Tennis Masters Cup and González's first win against Federer. Federer went on to defeat Rafael Nadal 6–4, 6–1 in the semifinals and David Ferrer in the finals 6–2, 6–3, 6–2.
On November 19, 2007, in an exhibition match in Seoul between players recognized as among the greatest ever, Federer defeated former World No. 1 Pete Sampras 6–4, 6–3. This was the first of three exhibitions the two played in Asia. "I feel pretty good," Sampras told Korean television after the match. "I made it competitive, which was my goal. Obviously Roger is the best player in the world and I retired five years ago. I am grateful that he invited me." Federer was equally happy with the workout: "Pete was one of my idols growing up and it's great to play him. It wasn't easy for me, it wasn't easy for him as he's been retired five years. I am number one and everyone expects me to win."[46] Two days later, Sampras again lost to Federer 7–6, 7–6. However, Sampras won the last match of the series 7–6(6), 6–4, though his stated goal was to just win a set.
(All results in 2007)[47]
2008
Federer began the year by attempting to defend his title at the Australian Open. He lost, however, in the semifinals to eventual champion Novak Djokovic 7–5, 6–3, 7–6(5). This ended his male record of ten consecutive Grand Slam finals. It was the first time that Federer had lost in straight sets in a Grand Slam singles match since he lost in the third round of the 2004 French Open. His last straight-sets loss at a hard court Grand Slam tournament was during the fourth round of the 2002 US Open.
In March, Federer revealed that he had recently been diagnosed with mononucleosis and that he may have suffered from it as early as December 2007. Federer also had an illness related to food poisoning prior to the start of the Australian Open. He noted, however, that he was now "medically cleared to compete".[48]
Although Federer was seeded first and was the defending champion at the Dubai Tennis Championships, he lost to Andy Murray in the first round with a score of 7-6(6), 3-6, 4-6. On March 10, Federer won his third exhibition match out of four against former World No. 1 and fourteen-time Grand Slam singles titlist Pete Sampras at Madison Square Garden in New York City 6–3, 6–7, 7–6.[49]
At the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, the first Tennis Masters Series event of the year, Federer lost in the semifinals to American Mardy Fish for the first time, thus ending his 41-match winning streak against American players dating back to August 2003.[50] Federer's next tournament was the Masters Series Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, where he lost in the quarterfinals to American Andy Roddick. Roddick's last official win against him was in 2003.
Federer began the clay court season at the Estoril Open in Portugal, which was his first optional clay-court tournament since Gstaad in 2004[citation needed] and his first tournament with coach José Higueras.[51] Federer won his first tournament of the year when Nikolay Davydenko retired from the final while trailing 7–6, 1–2 with a leg ligament strain.
Federer then played three Masters Series tournaments on clay. At the Masters Series Monte Carlo, Federer lost to three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal in the final in straight sets. Federer made 44 unforced errors, lost a 4–0 lead in the second set, and fell to 1–7 against Nadal on clay courts.[52] At the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome, Federer lost in the quarterfinals to Radek Štěpánek 7–6(4), 7–6(7). Federer was the defending champion at the Masters Series Hamburg and won his first four matches in straight sets to set up a repeat of the previous year's final against Nadal. In the first set of the final, Federer built a 5–1 lead and served for the set twice. Nadal, however, won six consecutive games to win the set 7–5. Nadal again broke Federer's serve in the opening game of the second set, but Federer broke back and won the set 7–6(3). Nadal then won the third set 6–3 and the tournament.
At the French Open, Federer was beaten by Nadal in the final 6–1, 6–3, 6–0. The last time Federer had lost a set 6-0 was his first round match in 1999 against Byron Black at the Artois Championships played at Queen's Club in London.[53] This was also the fourth consecutive year that Federer and Nadal had played at the French Open, with Federer losing his third consecutive final to Nadal as well as their semifinal match in 2005.
Federer bounced back by winning the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany without dropping a set or a service game. This was Federer's second title of the year, 55th overall career title, and the fifth time he has won this event. With this result, he tied Pete Sampras's record for most titles on grass in the open era with ten.[54]
At Wimbledon, Federer reached his 17th consecutive Grand Slam singles semifinal and his 16th Grand Slam final, tying Björn Borg for fourth most in male tennis history. He once again played World No. 2 Nadal in the final. A victory for Federer would have been his sixth consecutive Wimbledon singles title, breaking Borg's modern era record, and equaling the all-time record held since 1886 by William Renshaw. Federer saved two championship points in the fourth set tiebreak but eventually lost the match 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7. The rain-delayed match ended in near darkness after 4 hours, 48 minutes of play, making it the longest (in terms of elapsed time) men's final in Wimbledon recorded history, and 7 hours, 15 minutes after its scheduled start. The defeat also ended Federer's 65 match winning streak on grass. John McEnroe described the match as, "The greatest match I've ever seen."[55] [56]
Federer made early exits in his next three singles tournaments.[57] At the Masters Series Rogers Cup in Toronto, Canada, Federer lost in the second round to Gilles Simon after receiving a first round bye. At the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Federer was the defending champion but lost in the third round to Ivo Karlović for the first time in seven matches between them. At the Summer Olympics in Beijing, Federer lost in the quarterfinals to James Blake for the first time in their nine matches.[58] Federer however, finally won his first Olympic gold medal in the men's doubles when he and compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka upset favourites and world no. 1 doubles pairing Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan of the United States in the semifinals, and beat Sweden's Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson in the final 6–3, 6–4, 6–7(4), 6–3.
On August 18, Federer lost his World No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal after a record 237 consecutive weeks.
At the US Open, Federer defeated Máximo González of Argentina, Thiago Alves of Brazil and Radek Štěpánek of Czech Republic to reach the fourth round without dropping a set. There he faced Russian Igor Andreev and won in a tough five setter, 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. He defeated Gilles Müller in the quarterfinals 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-6(5), and then in a rematch of the 2007 US Open Final, he topped No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic in 4 sets, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. On a Monday final, he defeated Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2, dominating the 1st and 3rd set, to win his 13th grand slam title, his fifth straight US Open and extended his win streak to 34 at the U.S. Open. [59] Federer became the first player ever to have five consecutive wins at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
Rivalry with Nadal
Federer and Nadal have been rivals since 2005, and this rivalry is a significant part of both men's careers:
- They are the only men in the open era who have played each other in 6 Grand Slam finals.[60]
- Their 2008 Wimbledon final has been lauded as the greatest match ever by many long-time tennis critics.[55][61][62][63]
- Many critics consider their rivalry to be the greatest in tennis history.[63][64][65]
Playing style
Federer has a versatile, all-court playing style and can hit all of the fundamental shots with a high degree of proficiency. His versatility was epitomised when Jimmy Connors said "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".[66] He is an adept volleyer and an excellent baseliner who can dictate play with precise groundstrokes from both wings. He uses an extreme eastern grip, which places the hand between eastern and semi-western for his forehand and finishes with his right arm around the shoulder, and he keeps his eyes on the moment of impact longer than other players. He also can generate extreme top-spin with the forehand shot, allowing him to open up cross-court angles while still hitting the ball with pace. David Foster Wallace described the exceptional speed, fluidity and brute force of this forehand motion as "a great liquid whip",[67] while John McEnroe has referred to it as "the greatest shot in our sport" on numerous occasions.[68] Federer plays with a one-handed backhand, and has an excellent slice, and can also fire top-spin winning shots.[67] Federer tends to hit his groundstrokes early, while the ball is still on the rise, much like Andre Agassi did. While this requires excellent reactions and footwork, it means that Federer hits his groundstrokes closer to the net than most of his opponents. This reduces the reaction time of his opponents and allows him to hit the angled winners that are a trademark of his game.[67]
His serve is difficult to read because he tosses the ball in the same spot no matter where he intends to serve it and he turns his back to his opponents during his motion. His first serve is typically around 190 km/h (However, he is capable of serving at 220km/h).[69] His second serve usually has a heavily kicked delivery. Federer generally serves with placement and precision, but on occasion he will hit a powerful serve to keep his opponents off balance. His footwork, balance, and court coverage are exceptional and he is considered to be one of the fastest movers in the game. Unlike most players who take many small steps when approaching the ball, like Jimmy Connors, Federer takes long fluid strides. He can hit a strong shot on the run or while backpedaling, allowing him to switch from defense to offense. Federer's relaxed, smooth playing style belies his aggressive and opportunistic tactics, as he constructs points which allow him to hit winners with his powerful groundstrokes. Federer is capable of performing in high pressure situations, often saving break, set or even match points during a match.
Equipment, apparel, and endorsements
Federer currently plays with a customized Wilson (K) Factor (K)Six-One Tour 90 Racquet,[70] which is characterised by its smaller hitting surface (90 square inch),[70] heavy weight (12.5 oz strung weight),[70] and thin beam (18 mm).[70] Federer strings his racquets at a 53–60 pounds tension (depending on his opponent and surface), although at Wimbledon 2008 he was stringing at around 48 pounds with natural gut main strings (Wilson Natural Gut 16 String) and polyester cross strings (Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power Rough 16L String).[71] This allows him to hit balls at higher velocity with less effort but makes consistent accuracy more difficult.[citation needed] Federer also uses string savers to extend the life of the natural gut strings. Federer endorses Wilson tennis racquets and accessories and Nike footwear and apparel (he wears the Nike Air Vapor V and Nike Sphere Pinstripe Polo shirts).[72] For the 2006 championships at Wimbledon, Nike designed a jacket emblazoned with a crest of three tennis racquets symbolizing the three Wimbledon Championships he had previously won. This jacket was updated in preparation for the 2007 Wimbledon Championships, with four racquets.[73] He also has endorsement deals from various other companies, many of them being Swiss.[74] He also endorses Gillette and Jura, a Swiss based company.[75]
Achievements
With 56 career singles titles, Federer is ninth on the open era career singles titles list.[76]
Records
Roger Federer holds a number of records in tennis history, the most prominent of which is that he has won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year three times: 2004, 2006, and 2007.
He has surpassed or equaled many long-standing records, including:
- Equaling Björn Borg's open era record of five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles in 2007
- Capturing the open era record of most consecutive US Open titles (five) in 2008
- Ranked World #1 for a record of 237 consecutive weeks as of August 17, 2008, outlasting Jimmy Connors's record of 160 consecutive weeks as #1 men's player and Steffi Graf's record of 186 weeks as #1 singles player in the world
- The only player in tennis history to have won both Wimbledon and the US open 5 times in a row.
Awards
Federer has won numerous awards during his tennis career.
Federer was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2005.[77] He also won this award in 2006 through 2008.
Personal life
 |
Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (August 2008) |
Federer is currently dating former WTA player Miroslava "Mirka" Vavrinec, who retired from tennis in 2002 after a foot injury. The two met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Federer launched a fragrance called RF Cosmetics in October 2003.[28]
Federer considers Swiss German his first language. He also speaks German, French, and English fluently[12] and conducts press conferences in all four.
Federer's favourite vacation spots are Dubai, the Maldives, and the Swiss mountains.[12] [78]
Federer is a good friend of golf superstar Tiger Woods.
Federer is Roman Catholic and met Pope Benedict XVI while playing the 2006 Internazionali BNL d'Italia tournament in Rome.[79]
Federer is highly involved in various charities. He established the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003 to help disadvantaged people and to promote sports to youth. He was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF from 2006. Since then, he has visited South Africa and Tamil Nadu, one of the worst tsunami-affected areas in India. He has also appeared in UNICEF public messages to raise public awareness of AIDS.
Time Magazine named Federer as one of the 100 most influential people in 2007.
Federer is a cricket fan[80] and spends part of his off-time playing that sport.[81]
In 2007, Federer was photographed by Annie Leibowitz as King Arthur. This was part of a series of photographs taken by her of many different celebrities for Disney's 'Year of a Million Dreams' project.
Career statistics
Grand Slam singles finals (17)
Wins (13)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2003 | Wimbledon |  Mark Philippoussis |
7–6(5), 6–2, 7–6(3) |
| 2004 | Australian Open |  Marat Safin |
7–6(3), 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2004 | Wimbledon (2) |  Andy Roddick |
4–6, 7–5, 7–6(3), 6–4 |
| 2004 | US Open | Lleyton Hewitt |
6–0, 7–6(3), 6–0 |
| 2005 | Wimbledon (3) | Andy Roddick |
6–2, 7–6(2), 6–4 |
| 2005 | US Open (2) | Andre Agassi |
6–3, 2–6, 7–6(1), 6–1 |
| 2006 | Australian Open (2) |  Marcos Baghdatis |
5–7, 7–5, 6–0, 6–2 |
| 2006 | Wimbledon (4) |  Rafael Nadal |
6–0, 7–6(5), 6–7(2), 6–3 |
| 2006 | US Open (3) | Andy Roddick |
6–2, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1 |
| 2007 | Australian Open (3) |  Fernando González |
7–6(2), 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2007 | Wimbledon (5) | Rafael Nadal |
7–6(7), 4–6, 7–6(3), 2–6, 6–2 |
| 2007 | US Open (4) |  Novak Djokovic |
7–6(4), 7–6(2), 6–4 |
| 2008 | US Open (5) |  Andy Murray |
6–2, 7–5, 6–2 |
Runner-ups (4)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2006 | French Open | Rafael Nadal |
1–6, 6–1, 6–4, 7–6(4) |
| 2007 | French Open (2) | Rafael Nadal |
6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2008 | French Open (3) | Rafael Nadal |
6–1, 6–3, 6–0 |
| 2008 | Wimbledon | Rafael Nadal |
6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7 |
Tennis Masters Cup singles finals (5)
Wins (4)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2003 | Houston | Andre Agassi |
6–3, 6–0, 6–4 |
| 2004 | Houston | Lleyton Hewitt |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 2006 | Shanghai | James Blake |
6–0, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2007 | Shanghai | David Ferrer |
6–2, 6–3, 6–2 |
Runner-ups (1)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2005 | Shanghai |  David Nalbandian |
6–7(4), 6–7(11), 6–2, 6–1, 7–6(3) |
ATP Masters Series singles finals (23)
Wins (14)
| Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2002 | Hamburg | Clay | Marat Safin |
6–1, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2004 | Indian Wells | Hard (outdoor) | Tim Henman |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 2004 | Hamburg (2) | Clay | Guillermo Coria |
4–6, 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 2004 | Toronto (Canada) | Hard (outdoor) | Andy Roddick |
7–5, 6–3 |
| 2005 | Indian Wells (2) | Hard (outdoor) | Lleyton Hewitt |
6–2, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2005 | Miami | Hard (outdoor) | Rafael Nadal |
2–6, 6–7(4), 7–6(5), 6–3, 6–1 |
| 2005 | Hamburg (3) | Clay |  Richard Gasquet |
6–3, 7–5, 7–6(4) |
| 2005 | Cincinnati | Hard (outdoor) | Andy Roddick |
6–3, 7–5 |
| 2006 | Indian Wells (3) | Hard (outdoor) | James Blake |
7–5, 6–3, 6–0 |
| 2006 | Miami (2) | Hard (outdoor) |  Ivan Ljubičić |
7–6(5), 7–6(4), 7–6(6) |
| 2006 | Toronto (Canada) (2) | Hard (outdoor) | Richard Gasquet |
2–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 2006 | Madrid | Hard (indoor) | Fernando González |
7–5, 6–1, 6–0 |
| 2007 | Hamburg (4) | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
2–6, 6–2, 6–0 |
| 2007 | Cincinnati (2) | Hard (outdoor) | James Blake |
6–1, 6–4 |
Runner-ups (9)
| Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2002 | Miami | Hard (outdoor) | Andre Agassi |
6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 2003 | Rome | Clay | Félix Mantilla |
7–5, 6–2, 7–6(8) |
| 2006 | Monte Carlo | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
6–2, 6–7(2), 6–3, 7–6(5) |
| 2006 | Rome (2) | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
6–7(0), 7–6(5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(5) |
| 2007 | Monte Carlo (2) | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 2007 | Montréal (Canada) | Hard (outdoor) | Novak Djokovic |
7–6(2), 2–6, 7–6(2) |
| 2007 | Madrid | Hard (indoor) | David Nalbandian |
1–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 2008 | Monte Carlo (3) | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
7–5, 7–5 |
| 2008 | Hamburg | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
7–5, 6–7(3), 6–3 |
Career finals (88)
Singles (77)
Wins (56)
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| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | February 4, 2001 | Milan, Italy | Carpet (i) | Julien Boutter |
6–4, 6–7(7), 6–4 |
| 2. | January 13, 2002 | Sydney, Australia | Hard | Juan Ignacio Chela |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 3. | May 19, 2002 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Marat Safin |
6–1, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 4. | October 13, 2002 | Vienna, Austria | Hard (i) |  Jiří Novák |
6–4, 6–1, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 5. | February 16, 2003 | Marseille, France | Hard (i) |  Jonas Björkman |
6–2, 7–6(6) |
| 6. | March 2, 2003 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | Jiří Novák |
6–1, 7–6(2) |
| 7. | May 4, 2003 | Munich, Germany | Clay |  Jarkko Nieminen |
6–1, 6–4 |
| 8. | June 15, 2003 | Halle, Germany | Grass |  Nicolas Kiefer |
6–1, 6–3 |
| 9. | July 6, 2003 | Wimbledon, London, Great Britain | Grass | Mark Philippoussis |
7–6(5), 6–2, 7–6(3) |
| 10. | October 12, 2003 | Vienna, Austria | Hard (i) | Carlos Moyà |
6–3, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 11. | November 16, 2003 | Tennis Masters Cup, Houston, U.S. | Hard | Andre Agassi |
6–3, 6–0, 6–4 |
| 12. | February 1, 2004 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Hard | Marat Safin |
7–6(3), 6–4, 6–2 |
| 13. | March 7, 2004 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | Feliciano López |
4–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 14. | March 21, 2004 | Indian Wells, U.S. | Hard | Tim Henman |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 15. | May 16, 2004 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Guillermo Coria |
4–6, 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 16. | June 13, 2004 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Mardy Fish |
6–0, 6–3 |
| 17. | July 4, 2004 | Wimbledon, London, Great Britain | Grass | Andy Roddick |
4–6, 7–5, 7–6(3), 6–4 |
| 18. | July 11, 2004 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Igor Andreev |
6–2, 6–3, 5–7, 6–3 |
| 19. | August 1, 2004 | Toronto, Canada | Hard | Andy Roddick |
7–5, 6–3 |
| 20. | September 12, 2004 | US Open, New York City, U.S. | Hard | Lleyton Hewitt |
6–0, 7–6(3), 6–0 |
| 21. | October 3, 2004 | Bangkok, Thailand | Hard (i) | Andy Roddick |
6–4, 6–0 |
| 22. | November 21, 2004 | Tennis Masters Cup, Houston, U.S. | Hard | Lleyton Hewitt |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 23. | January 9, 2005 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | Ivan Ljubičić |
6–3, 6–1 |
| 24. | February 20, 2005 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Hard (i) | Ivan Ljubičić |
5–7, 7–5, 7–6(5) |
| 25. | February 27, 2005 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | Ivan Ljubičić |
6–1, 6–7(6), 6–3 |
| 26. | March 20, 2005 | Indian Wells, California, U.S. | Hard | Lleyton Hewitt |
6–2, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 27. | April 3, 2005 | Miami, U.S. | Hard | Rafael Nadal |
2–6, 6–7(4), 7–6(5), 6–3, 6–1 |
| 28. | May 15, 2005 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Richard Gasquet |
6–3, 7–5, 7–6(4) |
| 29. | June 13, 2005 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Marat Safin |
6–4, 6–7(6), 6–4 |
| 30. | July 3, 2005 | Wimbledon, London, Great Britain | Grass | Andy Roddick |
6–2, 7–6(2), 6–4 |
| 31. | August 21, 2005 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard | Andy Roddick |
6–3, 7–5 |
| 32. | September 11, 2005 | US Open, New York City, U.S. | Hard | Andre Agassi |
6–3, 2–6, 7–6(1), 6–1 |
| 33. | October 2, 2005 | Bangkok, Thailand | Hard (i) | Andy Murray |
6–3, 7–5 |
| 34. | January 8, 2006 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | Gaël Monfils |
6–3, 7–6(5) |
| 35. | January 29, 2006 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Marcos Baghdatis |
5–7, 7–5, 6–0, 6–2 |
| 36. | March 19, 2006 | Indian Wells, California, U.S. | Hard | James Blake |
7–5, 6–3, 6–0 |
| 37. | April 2, 2006 | Miami, U.S. | Hard | Ivan Ljubičić |
7–6(5), 7–6(4), 7–6(6) |
| 38. | June 18, 2006 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Tomáš Berdych |
6–0, 6–7(4), 6–2 |
| 39. | July 9, 2006 | Wimbledon, London, Great Britain | Grass | Rafael Nadal |
6–0, 7–6(5), 6–7(2), 6–3 |
| 40. | August 13, 2006 | Toronto, Canada | Hard | Richard Gasquet |
2–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 41. | September 10, 2006 | US Open, New York City, U.S. | Hard | Andy Roddick |
6–2, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1 |
| 42. | October 8, 2006 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Tim Henman |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 43. | October 22, 2006 | Madrid, Spain | Hard (i) | Fernando González |
7–5, 6–1, 6–0 |
| 44. | October 29, 2006 | Basel, Switzerland | Carpet (i) | Fernando González |
6–3, 6–2, 7–6(3) |
| 45. | November 19, 2006 | Tennis Masters Cup, Shanghai, China | Hard (i) | James Blake |
6–0, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 46. | January 28, 2007 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Fernando González |
7–6(2), 6–4, 6–4 |
| 47. | March 3, 2007 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | Mikhail Youzhny |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 48. | May 20, 2007 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
2–6, 6–2, 6–0 |
| 49. | July 8, 2007 | Wimbledon, London, Great Britain | Grass | Rafael Nadal |
7–6(7), 4–6, 7–6(3), 2–6, 6–2 |
| 50. | August 19, 2007 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard | James Blake |
6–1, 6–4 |
| 51. | September 9, 2007 | US Open, New York City, U.S. | Hard | Novak Djokovic |
7–6(4), 7–6(2), 6–4 |
| 52. | October 28, 2007 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | Jarkko Nieminen |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 53. | November 18, 2007 | Tennis Masters Cup, Shanghai, China | Hard (i) | David Ferrer |
6–2, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 54. | April 20, 2008 | Estoril, Portugal | Clay | Nikolay Davydenko |
7–6(5), 1–2 retired |
| 55. | June 15, 2008 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Philipp Kohlschreiber |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 56. | September 8, 2008 | US Open, New York City, U.S. | Hard | Andy Murray |
6–2, 7–5, 6–2 |
Runner-ups (21)
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| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | February 13, 2000 | Marseille, France | Carpet (i) | Marc Rosset |
2–6, 6–3, 7–6(5) |
| 2. | October 29, 2000 | Basel, Switzerland | Carpet (i) | Thomas Enqvist |
6–2, 4–6, 7–6(4), 1–6, 6–1 |
| 3. | February 25, 2001 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Hard (i) | Nicolas Escudé |
7–5, 3–6, 7–6(5) |
| 4. | October 28, 2001 | Basel, Switzerland | Carpet (i) | Tim Henman |
6–3, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 5. | February 3, 2002 | Milan, Italy | Carpet (i) |  Davide Sanguinetti |
7–6(2), 4–6, 6–1 |
| 6. | March 31, 2002 | Miami, U.S. | Hard | Andre Agassi |
6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 7. | May 11, 2003 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Félix Mantilla |
7–5, 6–2, 7–6(8) |
| 8. | July 13, 2003 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Jiří Novák |
5–7, 6–3, 6–3, 1–6, 6–3 |
| 9. | November 20, 2005 | Tennis Masters Cup, Shanghai, China | Carpet (i) | David Nalbandian |
6–7(4), 6–7(11), 6–2, 6–1, 7–6(3) |
| 10. | March 5, 2006 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | Rafael Nadal |
2–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 11. | April 23, 2006 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
6–2, 6–7(2), 6–3, 7–6(5) |
| 12. | May 14, 2006 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
6–7(0), 7–6(5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(5) |
| 13. | June 11, 2006 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
1–6, 6–1, 6–4, 7–6(4) |
| 14. | April 22, 2007 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 15. | June 10, 2007 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 16. | August 12, 2007 | Montréal, Canada | Hard | Novak Djokovic |
7–6(2), 2–6, 7–6(2) |
| 17. | October 21, 2007 | Madrid, Spain | Hard (i) | David Nalbandian |
1–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 18. | April 27, 2008 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
7–5, 7–5 |
| 19. | May 18, 2008 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
7–5, 6–7(3), 6–3 |
| 20. | June 8, 2008 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
6–1, 6–3, 6–0 |
| 21. | July 6, 2008 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Rafael Nadal |
6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7 |
Doubles (12)
Wins (8)
Runner-ups (4)
Performance timelineTo help interpret the performance table, the legend below explains what each abbreviation and color coded box represents in the performance timeline.
To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the 2008 US Open, Federer's participation ending on September 8, 2008 as the champion.
ATP Tour career earnings
References
Further reading
Video
See also
External links Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
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