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Roger Federer (German pronunciation: [?fe?d?r?r]; born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player who as of November 2012[update] is ranked World No. 2 by the ATP. Many sports analysts, tennis critics and former and current players consider Federer the greatest tennis player of all time.[a] He owns several men's world records of the Open Era: holding the World No. 1 position for 302 weeks overall;[15][16] a 237-consecutive-week stretch at the top from 2004 to 2008;[17] 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, and one of three (with Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal) to do so separately on clay, grass, and hard courts. Federer also shares the Open Era record for most Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open with Agassi (4 titles), at Wimbledon with Pete Sampras (7 titles) and at the US Open with Jimmy Connors and Sampras (5 titles). Federer's ATP tournament records include winning six ATP World Tour Finals, winning 21 ATP Masters 1000 titles (a record shared with Nadal), playing in the finals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (a record matched by Novak Djokovic), and one of the three (alongside Agassi and Djokovic) in winning seven.
Federer has appeared in 24 men's Grand Slam finals, with ten 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 the semifinals of 23 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, from the 2004 Wimbledon Championships through the 2010 Australian Open.[18] At the 2012 Wimbledon men's championship, he reached his 32nd Grand Slam semi-final and seventh trophy, both records. At the 2012 US Open, he reached a record consecutive 34th Grand Slam quarter-final. He has also won the most matches, 247, in men's Grand Slam tournaments. 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. His rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, making for a "trivalry", are considered some of the greatest of all time.
Federer has won the ATPWorldTour.com Fans' Favorite Award a record ten times straight (2003?2012) and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (voted for by the players) a record eight times (2004?2009, 2011-2012)[19], both being awards indicative of respect and popularity. He also won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2006. In 2011, in a South African poll, he was voted the second most trusted and respected person in the world, next to Nelson Mandela.[20][21] He was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record four consecutive years (2005?2008).[22] Federer is at times referred to as the Federer Express,[23] shortened to Fed Express or FedEx, and the Swiss Maestro,[23] or just Maestro.[23][24][25][26]
Federer was born in Binningen, Switzerland near Basel, to Swiss national Robert Federer and South African-born Lynette Durand, of Dutch and French Huguenot ancestry.[27][28][29] He holds both Swiss and South African citizenship.[30] He grew up in nearby M?nchenstein, close to the French and German borders and speaks Swiss German, German, French and English fluently, Swiss German being his native language.[29][31][32] He 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] Federer himself also credits the range of sports he played as a child?he also played badminton, cricket 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.[35] In later life, Federer has been friends with the golfer Tiger Woods.[36]
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 and has since been working as Federer's public relations manager.[37] They were married at Wenkenhof Villa in Riehen near Basel on 11 April 2009, surrounded by a small group of close friends and family.[38] On 23 July 2009, Mirka gave birth to identical twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva.[39]
Federer supports a number of charities. He established the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003 to help disadvantaged people and to promote sports.[40][41] In 2005, he auctioned his racquet from his US Open championship to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina.[42] He was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF in 2006.[43] 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.[44] He 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.[45] He was named a 2010 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in recognition of his leadership, accomplishments, and contributions to society.[46]
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 number 31 on Forbes top 100 celebrities as of May 2012.[47]
Federer's main accomplishments as a junior player came at Wimbledon in 1998, where he won both the boys' singles final over Irakli Labadze,[48] and in doubles teamed with Olivier Rochus, defeating the team of Micha?l Llodra and Andy Ram.[49] 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.[50] 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)
Federer's first final came at the Marseille Open in 2000, where he lost to fellow Swiss Marc Rosset.[51] Federer won the 2001 Hopman Cup representing Switzerland, along with Martina Hingis.[52][53] 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.[51] Although he won his first ever title already in 1999 on the challenger tour, winning the doubles event in Segovia, Spain together with Dutchman Sander Groen, the finals 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.[54] In addition, Federer won his first Master Series event at the 2002 Hamburg Masters on clay, over Marat Safin; the victory made him a top-10 player for the first time.[54] Federer made 10 singles finals between 1998 and 2002, of which he won four and lost six.[51][54][55][56][57] 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 Bj?rkman.[54][57] He finished 2001 with an ATP ranking of 13th, 2002 was the first year he finished within the top 10, finishing 6th.
In 2003, Federer won his first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, beating Mark Philippoussis.[58] Federer won his first and only doubles Masters Series 1000 event in Miami with Max Mirnyi,[59] and made it to one singles Masters Series 1000 event in Rome on clay, which he lost.[58] Federer made it to nine finals on the ATP Tour and won seven of them, including the 500 series events at Dubai and Vienna.[58] Lastly, Federer won the year-end championships over Andre Agassi finishing the year as world number 2, narrowly behind Andy Roddick.[58]
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 number 1 for the first time. He then won his second Wimbledon crown over Andy Roddick.[60] Federer defeated the 2001 US Open champion, Lleyton Hewitt, at the US Open for his first title there.[60] 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 Canada.[60] Federer took the ATP 500 series event at Dubai and wrapped up the year by winning the year-end championships for the second time.[60] He improved his year-end ranking to world number 1 for the first time.
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.[61] 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.[61] Federer also took four ATP Masters Series 1000 wins: Indian Wells, Miami, and Cincinnati on hard court, and Hamburg on clay.[61] Furthermore, Federer won two ATP 500 series events at Rotterdam and Dubai.[61] Federer lost the year-end championships to David Nalbandian in the final but maintained his position as world number 1.[61]
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.[62] Federer defeated Nadal in the Wimbledon Championships final. In the Australian Open, Federer defeated Marcos Baghdatis,[62] and at the US Open, Federer defeated Roddick (2003 champion).[62] 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 number 1.[62]
In 2007, Federer reached all four Grand Slam singles finals, winning three of them again. He won the Australian Open over Fernando Gonz?lez, Wimbledon over Rafael Nadal for the second time, and the US Open over Novak Djokovic. Federer lost the French Open to Nadal.[63] Federer made five ATP Masters Series 1000 finals in 2007, winning the Hamburg and Cincinnati titles.[63] Federer won one 500 series event in Dubai and won the year-end championships.[63] He finished as the year-end world number 1 for the fourth year in a row, demonstrating his dominance, and in these four years he won 11 grand slams.
In 2008, Federer won one Grand Slam singles title at the US Open over Briton Andy Murray.[64] 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 Bj?rn Borg's record.[64] At the Australian Open, Federer lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Djokovic, which ended his record of 10 consecutive finals.[64] 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.[64] 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[65], but Federer could only reach the quarter finals in the singles draw, knocked out by then world number 8 James Blake.[66] He ended the year as world number 2.
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In 2009, Federer won two Grand Slam singles titles, the French Open over Robin S?derling, and Wimbledon over Andy Roddick.[67] Federer reached two other Grand Slam finals, losing to Nadal at the Australian Open[68], and to Juan Mart?n del Potro at the US Open, both in tight 5-set matches.[67] Federer won two more events, the first at the Madrid Masters over Nadal in the final on clay.[67] The second was in Cincinnati over Djokovic, although Federer lost to Djokovic in Basel, later in the year.[67] 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.[67]
In 2010, Federer slowed down in his milestones and achievements. The year started with a win at the Australian Open,[69] 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.[64] At the French Open, Federer won his 700th tour match and 150th tour match on clay.[69][70] However, he failed to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since the 2004 French Open, losing to S?derling in the quarterfinals and relinquishing his no. 1 ranking,[69] 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 quarterfinal to Tom?? Berdych and fell to no. 3 in the rankings for the first time in 6 years and 8 months.[69][71][72] At the 2010 US Open, Federer reached the semifinals, avenging his French Open loss to S?derling in the quarterfinals, but proceeded to lose a five-set match to third seed Novak Djokovic.[69] 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.[73] In 2010 Federer equaled Agassi for the number of Masters wins at 17 and tied Bjorn 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 to put his tennis game and career on the right path on a trial basis.[74] 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 Ga?l Monfils in the semifinal of the Paris Masters. Federer did not play in the 2010 Davis Cup[75] and finished the year as world no. 2.
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[76], marking the first time since July 2003 that he did not hold any of the four Major titles. In the French Open semifinal, 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 Majors in 2011, the first time this has happened since 2002. 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.[77] 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,[78] 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.[79]
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 semifinal, 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 Tipsarevic, and Tom?? Berdych en route to regaining the world no. 2 ranking from Rafael Nadal. Federer then participated in the Italian Open tournament in Rome, where he won over Carlos Berlocq, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Andreas Seppi, en route to the semifinal, 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 Mart?n del Potro before he lost in the semifinal to Djokovic.[80] At the Gerry Weber Open, Federer lost to an inspired Tommy Haas in the final.[81]
At Wimbledon, Federer won matches against Albert Ramos, Fabio Fognini, Julien Benneteau, Xavier Malisse, and Mikhail Youzhny on his way to reaching 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. On 8 July 2012, Federer defeated Andy Murray in four sets in the 2012 Wimbledon Final,[82] regaining the world number-one ranking in the process.[83] "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.[84] 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.[85]
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 a monster match in the semifinals against Juan Martin del Potro that went to 19?17 in the final set. In the final, he lost to Murray and won a silver medal for his country.[86]
Federer did not play in the Rogers Cup, but he won in Cincinnati, beating Novak Djokovic soundly in the final.[87] In the US Open, five-time champ Federer was defeated by Tom?? Berdych, 6?7(1), 4?6, 6?3, 3?6, in the quarterfinals.[88] In the Shanghai Rolex Masters, defeating Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round, confirmed his 300th week at No.1. Following his defeat against Juan Martin del Potro in the title match at the Swiss Indoors[89], Federer withdrew from the Paris Master[90], thus losing his chance to finish as year-end No. 1 for a sixth time. Federer made it to the finals of ATP World Tour Finals where he lost to Novak Djokovic 7-6 (8/6), 7-5.[91]
Federer and Nadal have been playing each other since 2004 and their rivalry is a significant part of both men's careers.[92][93][94][95][96]
They held the top two rankings on the ATP Tour from July 2005 until 14 September 2009, when Nadal fell to World number 3 (Andy Murray became the new number 2).[97] They are the only pair of men to have ever finished four consecutive calendar years at the top. Federer was ranked number 1 for a record 237 consecutive weeks beginning in February 2004. Nadal, who is five years younger, ascended to number 2 in July 2005 and held this spot for a record 160 consecutive weeks before surpassing Federer in August 2008.[98]
Nadal leads their head-to-head 18?10. Fourteen of their 28 matches have been on clay which is statistically Nadal's best surface.[99] Federer has a winning record on grass (2?1) and indoor hard courts (4?0), while Nadal leads the outdoor hard courts (5?2) and clay (12?2).[100] Because tournament seedings are based on rankings, 19 of their matches have been in tournament finals which have included an all-time record 8 Grand Slam finals.[101] 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.[102][103][104][105] 10 of their 28 meetings have reached a deciding set. They have also played in a record 9 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 and Djokovic have met 28 times with Federer leading 16?13. Federer leads 12?10 on hard-courts and 1?0 on grass. They are tied at 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 have defeated Federer more than once in a Grand Slam tournament since 2004, 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 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 it three times. 11 of their 28 meetings 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.[106] In the semifinals of Wimbledon 2012, Federer beat defending champion and world number one Djokovic in four sets.[107] Many experts have included the rivalry between Federer and Djokovic as one of the best rivalries in the Open Era.[108]
Federer and Andy Murray have met 19 times with the series led 10?9 by Murray. Murray leads 9?8 on hard courts and they are tied 1?1 on grass.[109] The two have met three times at Grand Slam level, each time in the final, and Federer has won all three of these matches; at the 2008 US Open[110] and the 2010 Australian Open,[111] 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 leads 6?1 in ATP 1000 tournaments. They have also met four times at the ATP World Tour Finals with Murray winning in Shanghai in 2008,[112] and Federer in London in 2009, 2010, and 2012.[113] Apart from Nadal, Murray is the only other active player to have a positive head-to-head record against Federer.
Federer and Lleyton Hewitt have played each other on 26 occasions. Early in their careers, Hewitt dominated Federer winning seven of their first nine meetings including a victory from two sets to love down in the deciding rubber of 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 17 meetings to emerge with an 18?8 overall head-to-head record.[114] This is Federer's longest rivalry as these two first played each other as juniors in 1996. Their one Grand Slam final meeting came at the 2004 US Open where Federer beat Hewitt to win his first US Open title. Federer is 9?0 against Hewitt in Grand Slams and has won six of the Grand Slams in which he has defeated Hewitt.
One of Federer's longstanding rivalries was with American Andy Roddick. Roddick lost his World number 1 ranking to Federer after Federer won his first Australian Open in 2004. Federer and Roddick have met on 24 occasions, including in four Grand Slam finals (three at Wimbledon and one at the US Open). Federer leads 21?3, making Roddick the ATP player with the most tournament losses to Federer. [115]
In the 2009 Wimbledon final, Roddick lost to Federer in five sets. It included a fifth set made up of 30 games (a Grand Slam final record) and a match that was over 4 hours long. In the final game of the deciding set Roddick's serve was broken for the first, and therefore last, time during the whole match. With that victory, Federer broke Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles.
David Nalbandian was arguably Federer's biggest rival earlier in his career. Both players had an outstanding junior career with Federer winning the Wimbledon junior title and Nalbandian winning the US Open junior title (beating Federer). Even though Federer has a narrow advantage against Nalbandian, leading their meetings 11?8, Nalbandian beat Federer in their first five meetings after turning professional which included fourth round meetings at the Australian Open and US Open in 2003. Their most impressive match was the final of the 2005 Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup where Nalbandian came back from being two sets to love down against Federer and ultimately prevailed in a fifth set tiebreak. The loss prevented Federer from tying John McEnroe's 82?3 all-time single year record, set in 1984. Nalbandian and Lleyton Hewitt have beaten Federer 8 times with only Rafael Nadal (18), Novak Djokovic (12), and Andy Murray (9), recording more victories over Federer.
Federer has played Juan Martin del Potro on 17 occasions, with the series lead by Federer 13?4. Federer leads 8?4 on hard courts, 3?0 on grass and 2?0 on clay. They have met three times in finals, with del Potro most notably triumphing at the 2009 US Open becoming the first man to defeat Federer from a deficit of 2 sets to 1 in a grand slam final 3?6, 7?6(7?5), 4?6, 7?6(7?4), 6?2. In 2012, Del Potro also defeated Federer at the final of the 2012 Swiss Indoors, whereas Federer won their final encounter at the Rotterdam Open. In winning the 2009 US Open final, del Potro became the only player other than Federer, Nadal or Djokovic to win a Grand Slam title in 30 tournaments, and the first player to defeat Federer at the US Open in 6 years.[116] Federer and del Potro also met at the semifinals of the 2012 Summer Olympics, where the two recorded the longest match in Olympic tennis history with Federer eventually emerging victorious 3?6, 7?6(7?5), 19?17 in 4 hours and 26 minutes.[117] The pair's most recent meeting came at the 2012 ATP World Tour Finals in both men's final round robin match where del Potro was the eventual winner 7?6(7?3), 4?6, 6?3.
Marat Safin and Federer have played each other 12 times with Federer leading 10?2. Atp World Tour features updated information on Federer and Safin's head to head statistics. [118] Federer and Safin turned pro within one year of each other with Safin turning pro in 1997 and Federer turning pro 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. Federer defeated Safin at the 2002 Hamburg Masters to win his first Masters 1000 title of his career. Federer would also defeat Safin in the finals of the 2004 Australian Open to capture his first Australian Open and second slam title. However, Safin would defeat Federer in the 2005 Australian Open semifinals 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(8?6), 9-7 having saved one match point in the fourth set tiebreak to end a 26 match win streak by Federer.[119] They have met each other 5 times in Grand Slams with Federer leading 4?1.
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."[120]
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. 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,"[121] while John McEnroe has referred to Federer's forehand as "the greatest shot in our sport."[122] 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. Federer's forehand and backhand slice are both thought by many to be the best ever. 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.[121] 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);[123][124][125] however, he is capable of serving at 220?km/h (137?mph).[123][124] Federer is also accomplished at serve and volleying,[126] and employed this tactic frequently in his early career.[127] His speciality is a half-volley from the baseline which enables him to play close to the baseline and to pick up even the deeper shots very early after they bounce, giving his opponents less time to react.[citation needed] 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." 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.[128]
Federer currently plays with a customised Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 90 BLX tennis racquet,[129] 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).[130] Federer strings his racquets at 21.5?kg mains/20?kg crosses pre stretched 20%, utilizing Wilson Natural Gut 16 gauge for his main strings and Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power Rough 16L gauge (polyester) for his cross strings.[130] 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."[131]
Federer is one of the highest-earning athletes in the world. Forbes listed him as number 4 in their list of the top 50 highest-paid athletes in 2011.[132] He has a contract with Nike footwear and apparel.[133] 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.[134] In Wimbledon 2008 and again in 2009, Nike continued this trend by making him a personalised cardigan.[135] He also has his own logo, an R and F joined together.[136] Federer endorses Gillette,[137] Jura, a Swiss-based coffee machine company,[138] as well as Mercedes-Benz and NetJets. Federer also endorses Rolex watches,[139] although he was previously an ambassador for Maurice Lacroix.[140] Also in 2009 Federer became brand ambassador for Swiss chocolate makers Lindt.[141] In 2010 his endorsement by Mercedes-Benz China was extended into a global Mercedes-Benz partnership deal.[142]
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 | SR | W?L | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | A | LQ | 3R | 3R | 4R | 4R | W | SF | W | W | SF | F | W | SF | SF | 4 / 13 | 63?9 | 87.50 | |
French Open | A | 1R | 4R | QF | 1R | 1R | 3R | SF | F | F | F | W | QF | F | SF | 1 / 14 | 54?13 | 80.60 | |
Wimbledon | A | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | W | W | W | W | W | F | W | QF | QF | W | 7 / 14 | 66?7 | 90.41 | |
US Open | A | LQ | 3R | 4R | 4R | 4R | W | W | W | W | W | F | SF | SF | QF | 5 / 13 | 64?8 | 88.89 | |
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 | 0?0 | 17 / 54 | 247?37 | 86.97 |
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 2003 | Wimbledon (1) | Grass | ![]() |
7?6(7?5), 6?2, 7?6(7?3) |
Winner | 2004 | Australian Open (1) | Hard | ![]() |
7?6(7?3), 6?4, 6?2 |
Winner | 2004 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | ![]() |
4?6, 7?5, 7?6(7?3), 6?4 |
Winner | 2004 | US Open (1) | Hard | ![]() |
6?0, 7?6(7?3), 6?0 |
Winner | 2005 | Wimbledon (3) | Grass | ![]() |
6?2, 7?6(7?2), 6?4 |
Winner | 2005 | US Open (2) | Hard | ![]() |
6?3, 2?6, 7?6(7?1), 6?1 |
Winner | 2006 | Australian Open (2) | Hard | ![]() |
5?7, 7?5, 6?0, 6?2 |
Runner-up | 2006 | French Open (1) | Clay | ![]() |
6?1, 1?6, 4?6, 6?7(4?7) |
Winner | 2006 | Wimbledon (4) | Grass | ![]() |
6?0, 7?6(7?5), 6?7(2?7), 6?3 |
Winner | 2006 | US Open (3) | Hard | ![]() |
6?2, 4?6, 7?5, 6?1 |
Winner | 2007 | Australian Open (3) | Hard | ![]() |
7?6(7?2), 6?4, 6?4 |
Runner-up | 2007 | French Open (2) | Clay | ![]() |
3?6, 6?4, 3?6, 4?6 |
Winner | 2007 | Wimbledon (5) | Grass | ![]() |
7?6(9?7), 4?6, 7?6(7?3), 2?6, 6?2 |
Winner | 2007 | US Open (4) | Hard | ![]() |
7?6(7?4), 7?6(7?2), 6?4 |
Runner-up | 2008 | French Open (3) | Clay | ![]() |
1?6, 3?6, 0?6 |
Runner-up | 2008 | Wimbledon (1) | Grass | ![]() |
4?6, 4?6, 7?6(7?5), 7?6(10?8), 7?9 |
Winner | 2008 | US Open (5) | Hard | ![]() |
6?2, 7?5, 6?2 |
Runner-up | 2009 | Australian Open (1) | Hard | ![]() |
5?7, 6?3, 6?7(3?7), 6?3, 2?6 |
Winner | 2009 | French Open (1) | Clay | ![]() |
6?1, 7?6(7?1), 6?4 |
Winner | 2009 | Wimbledon (6) | Grass | ![]() |
5?7, 7?6(8?6), 7?6(7?5), 3?6, 16?14 |
Runner-up | 2009 | US Open (1) | Hard | ![]() |
6?3, 6?7(5?7), 6?4, 6?7(4?7), 2?6 |
Winner | 2010 | Australian Open (4) | Hard | ![]() |
6?3, 6?4, 7?6(13?11) |
Runner-up | 2011 | French Open (4) | Clay | ![]() |
5?7, 6?7(3?7), 7?5, 1?6 |
Winner | 2012 | Wimbledon (7) | Grass | ![]() |
4?6, 7?5, 6?3, 6?4 |
Tournament | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | SR | W?L | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
YEC | NQ | NQ | NQ | NQ | SF | W | W | F | W | W | RR | SF | W | W | F | 6 / 11 | 42?9 | 82.35 | |
Win?Loss | 0?0 | 0?0 | 0?0 | 0?0 | 3?1 | 5?0 | 5?0 | 4?1 | 5?0 | 4?1 | 1?2 | 2?2 | 5?0 | 5?0 | 3?2 | 0?0 |
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 2003 | Houston | Hard | ![]() |
6?3, 6?0, 6?4 |
Winner | 2004 | Houston | Hard | ![]() |
6?3, 6?2 |
Runner-up | 2005 | Shanghai | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
7?6(7?4), 7?6(13?11), 2?6, 1?6, 6?7(3?7) |
Winner | 2006 | Shanghai | Hard (i) | ![]() |
6?0, 6?3, 6?4 |
Winner | 2007 | Shanghai | Hard (i) | ![]() |
6?2, 6?3, 6?2 |
Winner | 2010 | London | Hard (i) | ![]() |
6?3, 3?6, 6?1 |
Winner | 2011 | London | Hard (i) | ![]() |
6?3, 6?7(6?8), 6?3 |
Runner-up | 2012 | London | Hard (i) | ![]() |
6?7(6?8), 5?7 |
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 2012 | London | Grass | ![]() |
2?6, 1?6, 4?6 |
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 2008 | Beijing | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6?3, 6?4, 6?7(4?7), 6?3 |
Time span | Selected Grand Slam tournament records | Players matched |
---|---|---|
2003 Wimbledon ? 2009 French Open |
Career Grand Slam[143][144] | Rod Laver Andre Agassi Rafael Nadal |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2012 Wimbledon |
17 titles[145] | Stands alone |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2012 Wimbledon |
24 finals[146] | Stands alone |
2005 Wimbledon ? 2007 US Open |
10 consecutive finals[147] | Stands alone |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2012 Wimbledon |
32 semifinals[148][149] | Stands alone |
2004 Wimbledon ? 2010 Australian Open |
23 consecutive semifinals[150][151] | Stands alone |
2004 Wimbledon ? 2012 US Open |
34 consecutive quarterfinals[152] | Stands alone |
2004 2006?2007 | 3 years winning 3 titles | Stands alone |
2004?2007 2009 | 5 years winning 2 titles | Stands alone |
2006?2007 | 2 consecutive years winning 3 titles | Stands alone |
2004?2007 | 4 consecutive years winning 2 titles | Stands alone |
2003?2010 | 8 consecutive years winning 1 title[151] | Bj?rn Borg Pete Sampras Rafael Nadal |
2004?2011 | 8 consecutive years winning 20 matches | Stands alone |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2012 Wimbledon |
5 titles at 2 different Majors | Bj?rn Borg Pete Sampras |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2012 Wimbledon |
4 titles at 3 different Majors | Stands alone |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2012 Wimbledon |
5 finals at all 4 Majors | Stands alone |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2012 Wimbledon |
7 semifinals at all 4 Majors | Stands alone |
2001 French Open ? 2012 US Open |
9 quarterfinals at all 4 Majors | Stands alone |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2008 US Open |
5 consecutive titles at 2 different Majors[151] | Stands alone |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2007 French Open |
2 consecutive finals at all 4 Majors | Ivan Lendl |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2009 French Open |
5 consecutive semifinals at all 4 Majors | Stands alone |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2012 US Open |
8 consecutive quarterfinals at all 4 Majors | Stands alone |
2003 Wimbledon ? 2006 Australian Open |
First 7 finals won[153][154] | Stands alone |
2004 Australian Open ? 2010 Australian Open |
9 hard court titles | Stands alone |
2006?2007 2009 | All 4 Major finals in 1 season[155] | Rod Laver |
2006 French Open ? 2009 US Open |
Runner-up finishes at all 4 Majors | Ivan Lendl |
2000 Australian Open ? 2012 US Open |
247 match wins[156] | Stands alone |
2000 Australian Open ? 2012 US Open |
50 match wins at all 4 Majors[157] | Stands alone |
2000 Australian Open ? 2012 US Open |
60 match wins at 3 different Majors | Stands alone |
2000 Australian Open ? 2012 US Open |
127 hard court match wins | Andre Agassi |
2006 | 27 match wins in 1 season | Stands alone |
2004?2007 2009 | 5 years with match winning percentage of 90% | Bj?rn Borg |
2004 French Open ? 2012 US Open |
23 No. 1 seeds | Stands alone |
2004 French Open ? 2008 Wimbledon |
18 consecutive No. 1 seeds | Stands alone |
2006 US Open ? 2007 French Open |
36 consecutive sets won | Stands alone |
2007 US Open | 35 consecutive service points won | Stands alone |
2009 Wimbledon | 50 aces in a final | Stands alone |
2007 US Open | $2.4?million earned at one event | Stands alone |
1999 French Open ? 2012 US Open |
5617 games won[158] | Stands alone |
2005 Wimbledon ? 2007 French Open |
2 winning streaks of 25 matches | Stands alone |
2005 Wimbledon ? 2009 US Open |
3 winning streaks of 20 matches | Stands alone |
2004 Wimbledon ? 2009 US Open |
5 winning streaks of 15 matches | Stands alone |
Grand Slam tournaments | Time Span | Records at each Grand Slam tournament | Players matched |
---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | 2004?2010 | 4 titles overall[159] | Andre Agassi |
Australian Open | 2006?2007 | 2 consecutive titles[160] | Ken Rosewall Guillermo Vilas Johan Kriek Mats Wilander Stefan Edberg Ivan Lendl Jim Courier Andre Agassi Novak Djokovic |
Australian Open | 2004?2010 | 5 finals overall[161] | Stefan Edberg |
Australian Open | 2004?2012 | 9 semifinals overall | Stands alone |
Australian Open | 2004?2012 | 9 consecutive semifinals | Stands alone |
Australian Open | 2007 | Won title without losing a set[162] | Ken Rosewall |
Australian Open | 2000?2012 | 63 match wins overall[162] | Stands alone |
Australian Open | 2006?2008 | 30 consecutive sets won[163] | Stands alone |
French Open | 2006?2009 | 4 consecutive finals[161] | Bj?rn Borg Ivan Lendl Rafael Nadal |
French Open | 2006?2011 | 4 runner-up finishes overall[164] | Stands alone |
French Open | 2006?2008 | 3 consecutive runner-up finishes | Stands alone |
French Open | 2005?2009 | 5 consecutive semifinals | Stands alone |
French Open?Wimbledon | 2009 | Accomplished a "Channel Slam": Winning both tournaments in the same year[165] | Rod Laver Bj?rn Borg Rafael Nadal |
Wimbledon | 2003?2012 | 7 titles overall[145][166] | Pete Sampras |
Wimbledon | 2003?2007 | 5 consecutive titles[167] | Bj?rn Borg |
Wimbledon | 2003?2012 | 8 finals overall[168][169] | Stands alone |
Wimbledon | 2003?2009 | 7 consecutive finals[170] | Stands alone |
Wimbledon | 2003?2009 | 7 consecutive semifinals | Stands alone |
US Open | 2004?2008 | 5 titles overall[171] | Jimmy Connors Pete Sampras |
US Open | 2004?2008 | 5 consecutive titles[171] | Stands alone |
US Open | 2004?2009 | 40 consecutive match wins[172] | Stands alone |
US Open | 1999?2012 | 88.89% (64?8) match winning percentage[172] | Stands alone |
Time span | Other selected records | Players matched |
---|---|---|
Year-End Championship[b] records | ||
2003?2011 | 6 titles overall[173] | Stands alone |
2002?2012 | 42 match wins overall[173] | Stands alone |
ATP Masters 1000 records | ||
2005?2012 | 21 titles overall[174] | Rafael Nadal |
2002?2012 | 33 combined Championship Masters Series[c] finals | Stands alone |
2002?2012 | 46 semifinals overall | Stands alone |
2000?2012 | 269 match wins overall | Stands alone |
2004?2012 | 15 hard court titles | Stands alone |
2004?2012 | 4 Indian Wells Masters titles[175] | Stands alone |
2002?2007 | 4 Hamburg Masters titles | Stands alone |
2005?2012 | 5 Cincinnati Masters titles[174] | Stands alone |
Other records | ||
2004?2012 | 302 total weeks at No. 1[176][177] | Stands alone |
2 February 2004 ? 17 August 2008 |
237 consecutive weeks at No. 1[151] | Stands alone |
2003?2005 | 26 consecutive match victories vs. top 10 opponents[178] | Stands alone |
2005?2006 | 56 consecutive hard court match victories[178] | Stands alone |
2003?2008 | 65 consecutive grass court match victories[151] | Stands alone |
2003?2005 | 24 consecutive tournament finals won[151] | Stands alone |
2001?2012 | 10 titles on grass, clay and hard courts | Stands alone |
2003?2012 | 12 grass court titles[179] | Stands alone |
2002?2012 | 52 hard court titles[180] | Stands alone |
2002?2012 | 56 outdoor titles[181] | Guillermo Vilas |
2006 | 9 hard court titles in 1 season | Jimmy Connors |
1998?2012 | 327 tiebreaks won[182] | Stands alone |
1999?2012 | 87.31% (117?17) grass court match winning percentage[179] | Stands alone |
2006 | 94.12% of tournament finals reached in 1 season | Stands alone |
2004?2008 | 2 consecutive Olympic games as wire-to-wire No. 1 | Stands alone |
2004?2012 | 3 consecutive Olympic games as No. 1 | Stands alone |
2005?2007 | 3 consecutive calendar years as wire-to-wire No. 1 | Stands alone |
2005?2007 | 3 calendar years as wire-to-wire No. 1 | Jimmy Connors |
2003?2012 | Ended 9 years ranked inside the top 2 | Stands alone |
2007 | $10?million prize money earned in a season | Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic |
2005?2007 | 2 winning streaks of 35 matches | Bj?rn Borg |
2004?2012 | 7 winning streaks of 20 matches | Stands alone |
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