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Born: 8 August 1981 Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Birthplace: Basel, Switzerland Residence: Bottmingen, Switzerland Turned pro: 1998 Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand) Career prize money: $ 68,314,141 Career titles: 71 Grand Slam results Website: www.rogerfederer.com |
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP No. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks. Federer has won a men’s record 16 Grand Slam singles titles. He is one of seven male players to capture the career Grand Slam and one of three (with Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal) to do so on three different surfaces (clay, grass, and hard courts). He is the only male player in tennis history to have reached the title match of each Grand Slam tournament at least five times and also the final at each of the nine ATP Masters 1000 Tournaments. Many sports analysts, tennis critics, and former and current players consider Federer to be the greatest tennis player of all time.
Federer has appeared in an unprecedented 23 career Grand Slam tournament finals, including a men’s record ten in a row, and appeared in 18 of 19 finals from the 2005 Wimbledon Championships through the 2010 Australian Open, the lone exception being the 2008 Australian Open. He holds the record of reaching the semifinals or better of 23 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments over five and a half years, from the 2004 Wimbledon Championships through the 2010 Australian Open. At the 2012 Australian Open, he reached a record 31st consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Federer has won a record 6 ATP World Tour Finals and 18 ATP Masters Series tournaments (second all-time). He also won the Olympic gold medal in doubles with his compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. He spent eight years (2003–2010) continuously in the top 2 in the year-end rankings and nine (2003–2011) in the Top 3, also a record among male players. His rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are considered two of the greatest of all time in the sport (also dubbed the Trivalry). Federer is greatly respected by fans and by fellow players alike as shown by the fact that he has won the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite Award a record 9 consecutive times (2003-2011) and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (which is voted for by the players themselves) a record 7 times overall and six times consecutively (2004-2009, 2011). Federer also won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2006. In 2011, he was voted the second most trusted and respected human in the world, second only to Nelson Mandela.
Early and personal life
Federer was born in Binningen, near Basel, to Swiss national Robert Federer and South African-born Lynette Durand. He holds both Swiss and South African citizenships. He grew up in suburban Münchenstein, near Basel, close to the French and German borders and speaks Swiss German, German, French and English fluently, Swiss German being his native language.
Federer himself also credits the range of sports he played as a child—he also played badminton and basketball—for his hand-eye coordination. “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.
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. They were married in Basel on 11 April 2009. On 23 July 2009, Mirka gave birth to twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Federer)
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Playing style
Federer’s versatility was 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.”
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,” while John McEnroe has referred to Federer’s forehand as “the greatest shot in our sport.”
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 known as the best ever to enter the game. He employs the slice, occasionally using it to lure the opponent to the net and pass him. Federer can also fire topspin winners and possesses a ‘flick’ backhand where he can generate pace with his wrist; this is usually used to pass the opponent at the net.
His serve is difficult to read because he always uses a similar ball toss regardless of what type of serve i 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); however, he is capable of serving i at 220 km/h (137 mph). Federer is also accomplished at serve and volleying, and employed this tactic especially frequently in his early career.
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. 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 match point. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Federer)
Roger Federer the KING
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Roger Federer – Pete Sampras (Fantastic Match)
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