Roger Federer Profile
For four years, 2004-2007, Roger Federer so dominated men's tennis on every surface but clay, many had already concluded that he was the greatest player tennis had ever seen. When he completed the career Grand Slam by winning Roland Garros (the French Open) in 2009, Federer erased almost all remaining doubt. Shortly thereafter, Roger added further confirmation by winning his sixth Wimbledon and thus breaking one of the biggest records in tennis with a fifteenth Grand Slam singles title. Roger also holds an amazing record of 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, more than double the next best.Without knowing any of Federer's many records, though, one could easily sense his greatness simply by seeing him play one match at his best. Roger's shotmaking is often described as "magical," "unbelievable," "ridiculous," and, as he finds quite amusing, "sick." Easy with a smile or a joke, friendly, generous with his time and money, and almost always showing fine sportsmanship, Roger has a personality as appealing as his game, and the combination has earned him tremendous popularity and respect among both fans and his peers.
Roger started playing at age 8 and, at 17, he finished 1998 as the number one junior in the world. His pro career didn't take off as soon as many expected, with his first ATP title coming in 2001 in Milan. Federer reached his first quarterfinal that year at Roland Garros, and he ended Pete Sampras's 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon before losing in the quarterfinal, but the promise of 2001 didn't carry over into his Grand Slam results for 2002, where he lost in the first rounds of Roland Garros and Wimbledon and only made the fourth rounds at the Australian Open and US Open.
For every player, a first Grand Slam title is a major breakthrough. For Federer, it was Wimbledon in 2003. Although his other Grand Slam results that year were unspectacular, Roger had gained that all-important belief in himself, and in 2004, the power of confidence showed, as Roger won the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, and eight other titles. Roger ended 2004 number one in the world, with the most titles in a single year since Ivan Lendl in 1985.
Federer's dominance of the men's tour lasted through 2007, the fourth year he finished as the world's best male player. By this time, Roger had won each of the Grand Slams multiple times, except Roland Garros, where he lost to Rafael Nadal in the semifinal in 2005 and the finals in 2006 and 2007. Roger was clearly the best player on every surface but clay and the second best on clay, behind the absolutely brilliant Nadal.
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Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer