Roger Federer changed tennis forever. From 20 Grand Slam titles and 8 Wimbledon crowns to his legendary rivalry with Rafael Nadal, explore the career, records and lasting legacy of one of tennis’ greatest icons.
Pinnaclenews SportsDesk : Roger Federer is one of those names in sport which has become almost impossible to separate from the sport itself. Even people who have never followed tennis closely are likely to recognise his name, his style of play, or at least the image of him lifting the Wimbledon trophy. His career officially came to an end on 23rd September 2022 at the Laver Cup in London, where he played the final competitive match of his career alongside his greatest rival, Rafael Nadal.
The two lost to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in a deciding tie-break, but the result itself became almost irrelevant as the night turned into a celebration of everything Federer had achieved over more than two decades which was, inexplicably, a lot. Federer had already established himself as one of the greatest tennis players the world had ever seen by the time he walked onto that court for the final time.
He finished his career with 20 Grand Slam singles titles, including 8 Wimbledon championships, 6 Australian Opens, 5 US Opens and 1 French Open. He also won 103 ATP singles titles and 1,251 tour-level matches, while spending 310 weeks as the world’s number one player, including a record 237 consecutive weeks between 2004 and 2008.
https://x.com/olly_tennis_/status/1802388644172345675 – rafael and roger at the laver cuphttps://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=666651815159297 – roger celebrating after winning his 20th grand slam title at the 2018 australian : Sports Funda : How Roger Federer Changed Tennis Forever!It was exactly 23 years ago now when he won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 after defeating Mark Philippoussis in straight sets. This was only the beginning of what would become one of the most successful periods in modern tennis, as Federer became world number one the following year and went on to win 11 Grand Slam titles between 2004 and 2007.
Out of all of them, his 2009 Wimbledon victory stands out as especially important because it took him past Pete Sampras’ previous record of 14 Grand Slam titles, giving Federer his 15th major. His 2017 Australian Open victory can be considered almost as significant for a different reason, as he had spent six months away from competitive tennis because of a knee injury before returning to defeat Nadal in a five-set final. It was his first Grand Slam title in almost 5 years, bringing his total up to 18. The very next year, he became the oldest player to reach world number one in the ATP rankings after winning his sixth Australian Open title.
By that point, however, injuries were increasingly becoming part of his career, particularly problems with his right knee which eventually required several operations and kept him away from the tour for long periods.At the end of the day, when Federer finally walked away from professional tennis, it was Nadal who stood beside him on the court one last time. Two years later, when Nadal announced his own retirement, Federer returned the sentiment in a message that reflected just how much their rivalry had meant to him, writing that Nadal had “made [him] enjoy the game even more,” a confession that can be viewed as the clearest sign that their relationship had grown beyond competition.
Federer’s career may be remembered through his 20 Grand Slam titles and 103 ATP titles, but its final chapter was written through the man who had spent years standing across the net from him.