From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Roger Federer made an impact.
Roger Federer, a Swiss former professional tennis player, is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. He held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 310 weeks, including 237 consecutive weeks, and finished the year as No. 1 five times. Federer amassed 103 ATP singles titles, the second-most in the Open Era, highlighted by 20 major men's singles titles and six year-end championships. His achievements and elegant playing style have made him a global icon.
In 1969, Rod Laver had a Grand Slam year, setting a high bar for tennis excellence that Federer aimed to surpass.
In 1969, Rod Laver reached all four finals, a feat Federer matched, highlighting their shared excellence.
In 1974, Jimmy Connors achieved a winning percentage record.
In 2016, Federer defeated Wawrinka in five sets, making him the oldest player to compete in a Grand Slam final since Ken Rosewall in 1974. Coming back from a break down in the fifth set, Federer defeated Rafael Nadal to win his first major since 2012.
In 2019, at 37 years, 11 months and 6 days, Federer became the oldest man to reach a major final since Ken Rosewall in the 1974 US Open.
In 1976, Federer became the second man in the Open era to win Wimbledon without dropping a set after Björn Borg in 1976.
In 1980, Björn Borg achieved a major win without dropping a set, a feat Federer repeated, showcasing their dominance.
In 1980, a Wimbledon final set a high standard for thrilling matches, a standard matched by Federer's later performances.
In 1982, Ivan Lendl achieved a win record that Federer later surpassed.
In 1984, John McEnroe achieved a winning percentage record.
In 1984, John McEnroe set a record for singles titles that Federer later equaled.
In 2016, Federer's withdrawal from most of the 2016 season led his ranking to slip to No. 17 at the start of the season, his lowest in over fifteen years. At the Australian Open, Federer defeated top-10 players Tomáš Berdych and Kei Nishikori on his way to the semifinals, making Federer the oldest man to compete in a grand slam semifinal since Jimmy Connors in 1991.
In 2014, wins allowed the Swiss team to advance to the Davis Cup final for the first time since 1992.
In 1993, Federer won the under-12 Swiss national junior championships in Lucerne and received a medal as a ballboy at the Swiss Indoors in Basel.
In 1993, Pete Sampras set a record for match victories that Federer later surpassed.
In 1994, Federer signed his first contract with Nike for footwear and apparel, marking the beginning of a long-term partnership.
Between 1995 and 1997, Federer trained at the Swiss National Tennis Center, located in Ecublens.
In 1995, Thomas Muster set a record for singles titles that Federer later surpassed.
In 1995, at age 13, Federer won the U14 Swiss national junior championship and was subsequently invited to train at the National Tennis Centre in Écublens.
In July 1996, at the age of 14, Federer played his first ITF junior match at a grade-2 tournament in Switzerland.
In January 1997, at age 15, Federer won both the indoor and outdoor U18 Swiss national championship.
In July 1998, Federer, at almost 17 years old, made his ATP debut at the Swiss Open Gstaad, losing in the first round.
By the end of December 1998, Federer had attained the No. 1 junior world ranking and was named ITF Junior World Champion, ending his junior career.
In 1998, Federer became the Wimbledon junior champion.
In 1998, Federer's junior Grand Slam results included a semi-final at the Australian Open, first round at the French Open, win at Wimbledon, and final at the US Open.
On 20 September 1999, Federer entered the world’s Top 100 for the first time.
In 1999, Federer decided to play full-time on the ATP tour, and he chose Peter Lundgren as his traveling coach.
In 1999, Federer suffered a shock defeat to Tommy Haas in the second round despite holding match points, the lowest-ranked player (No. 302) to beat him since No. 407 Bjoern Phau in 1999.
In February 2000, Federer reached his first singles final at the Marseille Open, where he lost to Marc Rosset.
In 2000, Federer finished as runner-up at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland.
In 2000, Federer started a record run of 65 consecutive participations in the main draw of Grand Slam tournaments, stretching back to the 2000 Australian Open.
In January 2001, Federer won the Hopman Cup representing Switzerland, along with Martina Hingis.
In 2001, Federer finished as runner-up at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland.
In 2001, Federer started his season by winning his second Hopman Cup title, this time partnering with Belinda Bencic, after having won previously in 2001 with Martina Hingis. The Swiss team won all its ties and Federer won every match he played, defeating the German pair, Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber, in the final 2–1.
In 2001, Federer won his first singles title at the Milan Indoor tournament and defeated Pete Sampras at Wimbledon.
From October 2002, Federer was ranked among the top eight players in the world continuously.
2002 marked the last time that Federer had not won any of the four Grand Slam titles until 2011.
In 2002, Federer won his first Masters title in Hamburg but also suffered the loss of his coach, Peter Carter.
In July 2003, Federer had a Grand Slam tournament defeat, and in 2013, he suffered his worst Grand Slam tournament defeat since then.
In 2003, Andy Roddick won the US Open, a title Federer later secured by defeating him.
In 2003, Federer established the Roger Federer Foundation to help disadvantaged children and promote their access to education and sport.
In 2003, Federer switched from a Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 85 square inch head racquet to a larger, custom-built Wilson 90 square inch head racquet.
In 2003, Federer won his first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, beating Andy Roddick in the semifinals and Mark Philippoussis in the final.
In 2003, Federer won his first major at Wimbledon, which he dedicated to Peter Carter.
In February 2004, Federer was ranked No. 1 for a record 237 consecutive weeks.
Since May 2004, Federer has been supporting the South Africa-Swiss charity IMBEWU, which helps children connect to sports and social and health awareness, citing his close ties with South Africa.
At the 2005 Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Federer arranged an exhibition with several top players called Rally for Relief, whose proceeds went to the victims of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
In 2004, Federer and Rafael Nadal began their rivalry, playing each other a total of 40 times throughout their careers.
In 2004, Federer failed to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since the 2004 French Open.
In 2004, Federer marked a triple Grand Slam season, becoming the only player in history to win three majors in a year.
In 2004, Federer missed the Swiss Indoors tournament due to injuries.
In 2004, Federer tied his previous mark for singles titles in a season.
In 2004, Federer won his first Australian Open, causing Roddick to lose his No. 1 ranking.
In 2004, Federer won three Grand Slam singles titles, became the world No. 1 for the first time, and won the Indian Wells and Hamburg Masters.
In 2004, Federer won three of the four majors and the Tour Finals, marking his dominance in men's tennis.
From July 2005, Federer and Nadal held the top two rankings on the ATP Tour.
In 2005, Federer auctioned his racquet from his US Open championship to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina.
In 2005, Federer did not win the Rotterdam Open. In 2012, he won the Rotterdam Open for the first time since 2005
In 2005, Federer missed the Swiss Indoors tournament due to injuries.
In 2005, Federer visited South Africa to meet children who had benefited from his support of the IMBEWU charity.
In 2005, Roger Federer won Wimbledon for the third time, defeating Andy Roddick. He also won the US Open, defeating Andre Agassi in Agassi's last major final.
In 2005, Tony Roche was Federer's other coach.
In April 2006, Federer was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF, raising public awareness of AIDS.
In August 2006, Federer's long winning streak ended after being defeated by Guillermo Cañas.
In December 2006, Federer visited Tamil Nadu, one of the areas in India most affected by the 2004 tsunami, showing his commitment to disaster relief.
Federer's 2017 season marked a return to Grand Slam wins since 2012, the most titles since 2007, and the highest win percentage since 2006. Statistically, this season was his best since 2007.
For the 2006 Wimbledon championships, Nike designed a special jacket for Federer, emblazoned with a crest of three tennis racquets, symbolizing his previous three Wimbledon Championships. He won the Championship in 2006, and the jacket was updated the following year.
In 2006, Federer marked a triple Grand Slam season, becoming the only player in history to win three majors in a year.
In 2006, Federer played Nadal in both the French Open final and Wimbledon final.
In 2006, Federer won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award.
In 2006, Federer won three of the four majors and the Tour Finals.
In 2006, Roger Federer won an ATP 500 series event in Tokyo and captured the year-end championships for the third time, finishing as world No. 1.
In 2006, Roger Federer won three Grand Slam singles titles and reached the final of the French Open, marking a dominant year in his career.
In March 2018, Federer entered the Indian Wells Masters, where he defeated Chung Hyeon in the semifinals for a career-best start to a season at 17–0, beating his previous best start at 16–0 in 2006.
The 2006 season was statistically the best season of Roger Federer's career, marked by numerous titles and a high winning percentage.
Federer's 2017 season marked a return to Grand Slam wins since 2012, the most titles since 2007, and the highest win percentage since 2006. Statistically, this season was his best since 2007.
In 2007, Federer marked a triple Grand Slam season, becoming the only player in history to win three majors in a year.
In 2007, Federer played Nadal in both the French Open final and Wimbledon final.
In 2007, Federer reached all four Grand Slam singles finals, winning three. He also captured his fourth Dubai crown, extending his winning streak.
In 2007, Federer won the US Open against Djokovic in straight sets.
In 2007, Federer won three of the four majors and the Tour Finals.
In 2007, Tony Roche and Severin Lüthi were Federer's other coaches.
In August 2008, Nadal surpassed Federer in the rankings.
At Wimbledon 2008, Nike continued the trend of personalized apparel by making Federer a cardigan with his own logo, designed by his wife Mirka.
In 2008, Federer and Stan Wawrinka won the Olympic doubles gold victory at the Beijing Olympics.
In 2008, Federer and Stan Wawrinka won the gold medal in doubles at the Olympic Games. Federer also captured his only Grand Slam of the year at the US Open.
In 2008, Federer partnered with Mercedes-Benz, marking the beginning of a significant endorsement relationship.
In 2008, Federer played Nadal in both the French Open final and Wimbledon final. The 2008 Wimbledon final was lauded as the greatest match ever.
In 2008, Federer suffered from mononucleosis, impacting his season. He was defeated by Nadal in two Grand Slam finals, the French Open and Wimbledon.
In 2008, Federer won a men's doubles gold medal at the Olympics.
In 2008, Federer won the US Open final against Andy Murray in straight sets.
In 2008, José Higueras was Federer's other coach.
In 2008, Murray won against Federer in Shanghai ATP final.
In 2018, Federer reached the final without dropping a set, and successfully defended his title beating Marin Čilić in a five-set final. It was also the first time since the 2008 US Open that Federer successfully defended a major title.
In 2019, Federer defeated Nadal in their 40th and final professional meeting to reach his record 12th final at the tournament. This was also the first time Federer played Nadal at Wimbledon since the 2008 Wimbledon final.
In August 2021, Federer announced that he underwent another knee surgery after a further injury during the grass-court season. This was the first time in 19 years at Wimbledon he had lost in straight sets, and only the second time he had lost a set 6–0 in the 21st century (the previous occasion was against Nadal in the 2008 French Open final).
In August 2009, Nadal fell to No. 3 in the ATP rankings, ending their run of holding the top two spots.
In 2009, Federer became the brand ambassador for Lindt, aligning with their values of Swissness, premiumness, and quality.
In 2009, Federer completed the career Grand Slam at the French Open and surpassed Pete Sampras' record of 14 major men's singles titles at Wimbledon.
In 2009, Federer defeated Murray and Djokovic in straight sets to win the Cincinnati Masters for the seventh time. This marked the first time that Federer defeated the top two players in the world at the same event. At the US Open, he advanced to his first final there since 2009 without dropping a set, including a win over Stan Wawrinka. In the final, he was beaten by Djokovic. Federer then won the Swiss Indoors, defeating Nadal in the final.
In 2009, Federer played Nadal in the Australian Open final.
In 2009, Federer used the between-the-legs shot (tweener) in the semifinals of the US Open against Novak Djokovic, bringing him triple match point.
In 2009, Federer won against Murray in London ATP final.
In 2009, Nike continued making Federer a personalized cardigan that also had his own logo, an R and an F joined, which was originally designed by his wife, Mirka.
In May 2009, Federer won the Istanbul Open clay-court tournament, which ended his title drought on red clay since the 2009 French Open. He reached the Italian Open final but lost to Djokovic. At the French Open, he lost in the quarterfinals to Stan Wawrinka.
By 2010, Murray led the rivalry against Federer 8-5.
In 2010, Federer arranged a collaboration with top tennis players for 'Hit for Haiti' during the Australian Open, to help Haiti earthquake victims, and participated in a follow-up exhibition at Indian Wells.
In 2010, Federer finished the year in strong form, winning indoor titles at the Stockholm Open, Swiss Indoors, and the ATP Finals in London. He finished in the top two for the eighth consecutive season.
In 2010, Federer won against Murray in London ATP final.
In 2010, Federer's endorsement with Mercedes-Benz was extended into a global partnership deal.
In 2010, Paul Annacone was Federer's other coach.
In 2010, the Nadal vs. Federer "Match for Africa" in Zürich and Madrid raised over $4 million for their respective foundations.
In January 2011, Federer participated in Rally for Relief, an exhibition to raise money for the victims of the Queensland floods.
In November 2011, Stephen Tignor ranked Federer's 2006 season as statistically the second-best of all time during the Open Era.
From 2011 onwards, Federer dominated the rivalry against Andy Murray, leading 9-3.
In 2011, Federer ended Djokovic's perfect 41–0 start to the season in the semifinals of the French Open.
In 2011, Federer lost in the semifinals of the US Open to Novak Djokovic after winning the first two sets. It was the first time since 2002 that Federer had not won any of the four Grand Slam titles.
The year 2011 was a lean year for Federer, despite reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and the French Open. He lost in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
Federer's 2017 season marked a return to Grand Slam wins since 2012, the most titles since 2007, and the highest win percentage since 2006. Statistically, this season was his best since 2007.
In 2012, Federer beat Djokovic in the semifinals of Wimbledon.
In 2012, Federer lost to Murray in the final of the Summer Olympics, missing out on a career Golden Slam.
In 2012, Federer reached the semifinal of the Australian Open. He won the Rotterdam Open, Dubai Championships, and the Indian Wells Masters.
In 2012, Federer won a men's singles silver medal at the Olympics.
In 2012, Federer won a silver medal in singles at the London Olympics, finishing runner-up to Andy Murray.
In 2012, Federer won against Murray at the Wimbledon Championships.
In 2012, Federer won his seventh Wimbledon championship and a silver medal at the Summer Olympics.
In 2016, Federer defeated Wawrinka in five sets, making him the oldest player to compete in a Grand Slam final since Ken Rosewall in 1974. Coming back from a break down in the fifth set, Federer defeated Rafael Nadal to win his first major since 2012.
In June 2018, Federer regained the No. 1 ranking at the Stuttgart Open, which he won after defeating Milos Raonic in the final. At Wimbledon, Federer was seeded first at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2012 US Open.
In 2014, Federer's victory in the Shanghai final saw him return to the No. 2 ranking for the first time since May 2013.
On 27 December 2013, Federer announced that Stefan Edberg was joining his team as co-coach with Severin Lüthi.
In 2013, Federer won his first and only title of the year at the Gerry Weber Open.
In 2013, Federer won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award.
In 2013, Paul Annacone was Federer's other coach.
After Stefan Edberg joined Federer's coaching team at the start of the 2014 season, Federer played a more offensive game, attacking the net more often and improving his volleys.
In 2014, Federer and Stan Wawrinka led the Switzerland Davis Cup team to their first title.
In 2014, Federer changed rackets for the first time in his career.
In 2014, Federer ended Djokovic's 28 straight wins in China at the Shanghai Open.
In 2014, Federer joined hands with Sunrise, Switzerland's largest telecommunications company, collaborating on campaigns promoting Swiss values.
In 2014, Federer won against Murray in London ATP final.
In 2014, Federer won the Shanghai Masters and the Swiss Indoors for a record sixth title. He also reached the finals of the ATP Finals but withdrew due to a back injury.
In 2014, the "Match for Africa 2" between Federer and Stan Wawrinka in Zürich raised £850,000 for education projects in Southern Africa.
At the ATP Finals in 2019, Federer rebounded from an opening match loss to Dominic Thiem to defeat Matteo Berrettini and Djokovic (his first win over Djokovic since 2015) in straight sets to qualify for the semifinals.
In 2015, Federer lost the US Open final to Djokovic in four sets.
In 2015, Federer was featured in a memorable TV ad for Sunrise, Switzerland's largest telecommunications company.
In 2015, Stefan Edberg was Federer's other coach.
In the lead-up to the 2015 US Open, Federer successfully added a new unique shot to his arsenal called SABR (Sneak Attack by Roger).
In October 2016, injuries forced Federer to skip much of the season, ending his 14-year streak of being ranked among the top eight players.
At the Australian Open 2019, Federer was upset by Stefanos Tsitsipas. After the match, Federer announced he would play the clay court season for the first time since 2016.
In 2016, Federer starred in a Mercedes-Benz TV ad, playing the role of various tennis legends.
In 2016, Ivan Ljubičić was Federer's other coach.
From 11 September 2017, Federer and Nadal again held the top two rankings on the ATP Tour.
In November 2017, Federer stated his favorite stringing tension is 26.5 kilograms (58.4 lb) mains & 25 kilograms (55.1 lb) crosses.
On 24 November 2017, Federer received an honorary doctorate from the University of Basel for increasing the international reputation of Basel and Switzerland and for his charitable work.
Federer's 2017 season marked a return to Grand Slam wins since 2012, the most titles since 2007, and the highest win percentage since 2006. Statistically, this season was his best since 2007.
In 2017, Federer played Nadal in the Australian Open final.
In 2017, after returning to tennis, Federer won three more majors, including the Australian Open over Nadal and a record eighth singles title at Wimbledon.
In 2017, at the Shanghai Masters Federer captured his third Masters title of the season, defeating No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the final. This was Federer's fifth straight victory over Nadal and his 94th career title, drawing him level with 2nd-placed Ivan Lendl. Federer then defeated Juan Martín del Potro in the final of the Swiss Indoors to surpass Ivan Lendl in number of career titles.
In March 2018, Federer's contract with Nike expired, leading to a significant change in his apparel sponsorship.
In October 2018, Novak Djokovic became the new No. 2 in the ATP rankings.
In 2018, Federer paired with Bill Gates in a doubles clash against Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie at the "Match for Africa" in San Jose, winning the match.
In 2018, at the Australian Open, Federer became the first man to win 20 major singles titles and the oldest ATP world No. 1 at the time, at age 36.
In 2018, when Federer won the Australian Open again, the prize money had increased to AUD 4 million.
In November 2019, Federer became a shareholder in On, a Swiss-based athletic shoe and sports apparel manufacturer.
In 2018, Federer reached the final without dropping a set, and successfully defended his title beating Marin Čilić in a five-set final. It was Federer's sixth title at the Australian Open, equaling the then record held by Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic, which was surpassed by Djokovic in 2019.
In 2019, Federer and Nadal had their last encounter at the Wimbledon Championships, where Federer won.
In 2019, Federer appeared in a TV ad for the Italian pasta-maker Barilla.
In 2019, Federer lost the Wimbledon final to Djokovic after saving two match points.
In July 2020, On released a limited edition lifestyle shoe named "The Roger."
In 2020, this was only the second year in Federer's career since he won his first title that he finished without a title.
In 2021, Federer did not play in a singles tournament after Wimbledon.
Since 2021, Federer has worn tennis shoes produced by On, marking a shift in his footwear choice.
In June 2022, Federer dropped out of the top 50 in the world rankings.
In July 2022, Federer became unranked for the first time since his professional debut.
In September 2022, Federer announced his retirement from professional tennis, with the Laver Cup being his final ATP event.
In September 2022, Federer retired from professional tennis following the Laver Cup.
In 2022, Severin Lüthi and Ivan Ljubičić were Federer's other coaches.
In February 2018, Federer became the oldest ATP world No. 1 at 36 years and 195 days of age, a record that stood until Novak Djokovic broke the record in 2024.