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16 Grand Slams to his name and still counting, Roger Federer, the Swiss champion, is master of all he surveys. One French Open, six Wimbledons, five US Opens and four Australian Opens (66 ATP titles); you could hardly call his trophy cupboard bare. His rivalry with Nadal is the stuff of legend and an enduring story for the ages. His challenger needs just one more Slam to move into double digits and Borg territory.
The road to this state of affairs has been a hardy one. Before Federer embarked on his quest to be crowned the Greatest of All Time, beginning with his initial win in 2003 at Wimbledon, he had to first undergo an apprenticeship that would serve him well, one that would enable him to treat triumph and disaster as the impostors they are.
Roger Federer made his ATP Tour debut in 1998. His best result that year, aged 17, was a quarter-final in Toulouse in France after going through the grind of the qualifying rounds.
He improved by leaps and bounds in 1999 vaulting into the top 100 at the tender age of 18 years and four months.It was also the year he won his first Challenger title defeating Max Mirnyi—an interesting bit of trivia for Mahesh Bhupathi fans.
ATP titles continued to elude him in 2000, though he did make the finals at Marseilles and Basel succumbing to countryman Marc Rosset and Thomas Enqvist respectively.2000 also saw him make the Sydney Olympics semi-finals round only to lose the bronze medal playoff to Di Pasquale. But the Swiss considers it his best time investment ever because he met his wife, Mirka, a tennis player, at the Olympics village, a partnership that has culminated in wedded bliss in 2009 and two lovely twin daughters,Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. Incidentally, Roger Federer made the trip to the Olympics two more times only to be frustrated in his attempt to secure gold in the singles event. He did partner compatriot Wawrinka to the podium in 2008 at Beijing, a doubles victory while his nemesis Nadal ploughed his way to yellow in the individual event. However, a Swiss man has donned the colours and secured gilt in the form of his predecessor Marc Rosset in 1992.
In 2001, Federer surpassed the said Rosset to become his country’s premier player. He also won his first ATP title that year vanquishing Croat Goran Ivanisevic in the final at Milan. 2001 is recollected for his upset of champion Pete Sampras in five sets at Wimbledon in the fourth round. It is often telecast as a classic encounter during the run-up to the tournament, a sign of things to come from this Alpine great.
Federer finished 2002 ranked No. 6 in the world, the first time since 1988 that a Swiss man ended the year in the Top 10.It was also his first-ever appearance at the year-ending WTF championship. He finished with three ATP Tour titles.
It was finally in 2003 that the Swiss shouted out his tryst with destiny, raking in seven ATP Titles , including his first major at Wimbledon. Federer fans know the sequence from then on, all too well.
The Master broke free from the shackles after five years of the grind. To put it into perspective, Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin were touted as the successors to Sampras—specifically Safin after his straight-sets demolition of Sampras at the US Open in 2000. Hewitt knocked over the aging champion in 2001 for followers of the game to believe that the baton had been passed to these two young pretenders. But events , Federer and Nadal would prove the soothsayers wrong.
Nadal rode the elevator to success; his French Open victory in 2005, catapulted him to instant fame. His favourable head-to-head record against Federer , dominating on clay, and his continuous improvement has the Swiss motoring along—creating history— but always with an eye on the rear-view mirror.
Jimmy Connors commented on the Swiss genius:
“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." He could very well be saying the same of Rafael Nadal this year.
For lots of journeymen out there, the Swiss is a symbol of inspiration— that the hard toil, the wearisome travel , the constant practice will have its reward though it might take some time coming. Lest we be blinded by the glamour ,the style and the glory, a rewind to humble beginnings to remind us that what’s achieved in an instant can be as easily lost in an instant.
Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 ATP Titles Won 0 0 0 0 1 3 7 11 11 12 8 4 4 5 Win % 0% 40% 43% 55% 70% 73% 82% 93% 95% 95% 88% 81% 84% 83% Year End Ranking 700 301 64 29 13 6 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2
Statistics Source: Wikipedia.
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