Roger Federer: Enfant terrible to saintly global icon | Tennis News

PARIS: From horrendous racquet smashes with lousy attitudes and unflattering ponytails to world-renowned modern models and icons, Roger Federer attained quasi-saint status.
More than 19 years after winning his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, which set him on the path to being hailed as the greatest tennis player of all time, Federer in the early hours of his tennis farewell Saturday.

He couldn’t finish with a win, losing his doubles match to Team Europe in Laver Cup with a longtime rival Rafael Nadal.

At 41 and trying to recover from his third knee surgery in 18 months, the Swiss great has bowed to the inevitable flow of time.

He left the sport with 20 Grand Slams, including eight Wimbledons, 103 titles and more than $130 million in prize money alone, all fueled by rare grace, beaming precision. laser and the signature one-handed backhand.

Confidence was never an issue – who could walk into Wimbledon Central Stadium in a bespoke cream blazer with embroidered crest?

The art associated with the Swiss has earned him a global army of fans wearing ‘RF’ hats and given him an aura that few have ever achieved.
A once-famous columnist even wrote an article titled “Federer is religious experience”.
Federer also held the number one position in the world for 310 weeks, including 237 consecutive weeks from February 2004 to August 2008.
His net worth is estimated at $450 million in 2019 and it is recognition from the Federer brand cash register that in 2018 he signed a 10-year, $300 contract. million dollars with clothing manufacturer Uniqlo.
He was 36 years old then.
In his prime, Federer made his opponents give up.
“I threw the sink at him but he went to the bathroom and got the tub,” sighed Andy Roddick wearily after losing the 2004 Wimbledon final.
Off the court, however, he is a Federer family man, father of twins, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva and Leo and Lenny with his wife Mirka, a former tennis player he met at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
His path to super stardom hasn’t always been so steady.

As a talented young tennis player, Federer’s temper threatened to hinder his progress.
“I had a hard time bringing my actions to court, trying to behave properly. For me it was a big deal,” he admitted.
At just 19 years old, Federer defeated personal hero Pete Sampras at Wimbledon 2001.
However, 12 months later, Federer left Wimbledon in the first round.
It was a personal tragedy for him to hit the reset button.
Just before he turned 21, his coach and close friend, Peter Carter, was killed in a car crash in South Africa.

Since that time, the multilingual Federer is committed to winning in style, no longer consumed by his introspection.
Born on August 8, 1981 in Basel, to Swiss father Robert and South African mother Lynette, Federer began playing tennis at the age of eight.
Turning pro in 1998, he won his first ATP title in Milan in 2001 and won the titles every year, except for 2016, 2020 – when he only played the Australian Open – and 2021. , another season has come to an end.
His first extended break, to recover from a knee injury caused by showering for his two daughters, led to 2017’s renaissance, with Federer re-emerged winning his second major. 18 at the Australian Open.
After his first Australian Open championship in 2004, he was crowned world number one for the first time.
Federer has eight Wimbledon titles, six Australian Open titles, five US championships and a single Roland Garros.
He won 28 Masters, a 2008 Olympic mixed doubles gold with close friend Stan Wawrinka and a Davis Cup win for Switzerland in 2014.
Had he not competed in the same era as Nadal, who has 22 major titles, and Novak Djokovic, his trophy collection could be more impressive.
Nadal, who has a close relationship with Federer, has enjoyed a 24-16 head-to-head advantage.
Against Djokovic, whose dealings were never as intimate as with the equally respected Nadal, Federer led 27-23.
They shared history in 2019 when the Serbs won the longest Wimbledon final of all time, just three short minutes in five hours.
Heartbreaking for Federer, he squandered two championship points.
Since that day, Djokovic has also equaled and surpassed the 20 Slam milestone and beat his record for weeks at number one.
Despite the impressive numbers achieved over two decades, Federer admits he still has a tough fight ahead of a big tennis occasion.
“Sometimes it slows your legs down, your pulse speeds up… that can make you a little more stressed,” he says.
“I always say I’m happy.
On the eve of a crushing defeat to Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon final, Federer said he has not set a date for retirement.
“Those are just discussions that I always have with my wife about my family, about my kids, are people happy touring, are we happy packing and touring in five, six, seven weeks. Are we ready to do that?” he say.
“It seems to be completely fine now, which is great.”
However, with a year lost to injury and the Covid-19 pandemic as well as a return stalled in 2021, Federer’s “great times” are finally over.