• After Nelson Mandela, Roger was chosen as the second most-respected person in the world
• He’s said to be the world’s most marketable athlete and with a net worth of about $400 million is the seventh wealthiest athlete in the world
• He began hitting tennis balls at one-and-a-half years, and when he was four, could hit 30 straight shots without a miss.
• Reto Schmidle is the only person we know of who beat Roger 6-0, 6-0. He was 13 – Roger was 10. Schmidle is now a postman.
• As a kid, Roger would hit balls against cupboards and his garage • He played soccer, had Michael Jordan posters, was a vegetarian, and was a ballboy for Martina Hingis • After acting out at his academy, he was forced to clean toilets.
• When, at 15, he won Miami’s Orange Bowl and got a $250 haircut featuring a bleach job.
• To release stress, his coach had him scream while listening to Metallica • He went to a psychologist • He was accused of tanking • Along with Bjorn Borg, Pat Cash and Stefan Edberg, he won both the junior and senior Wimbledons • Most nights, he gets 10 hours of sleep.
• Often he eats porridge and berries on the morning of a match • He first kissed Mirka at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and played the 2005 Hoppman Cup with her • He has smashed his racket playing Nadal and Djokovic.
• He’s a fine photographer, likes hiking in the Alps and plays piano.
• His best year was 2006.
• Players joke that on court he whips their butts and then returns to the locker room and is just one of the guys.
• Grigor Dimitrov, Richard Gasquet and Roger’s four children have all been called “Baby Fed.”
• He has losing records against Rafa, Novak, Rafter, Thiem and Kafelnikov, among others
• Analyst John Yandell says he has 27 different forehands • He was born on the eighth day of the eighth month of 1981.
• He called his sports agency Team 8, likes to practice on Wimbledon’s Court 8 and winning his eighth Wimbledon was huge for him • His 2001 Wimbledon win over Pete Sampras foretold his destiny and is the most significant fourth-round match in history.
• Nothing was bigger for him than his first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon in 2003.
• Finally prevailing in 2009 at the French Open was massive • His biggest US Open win came over Andre Agassi in 2005.
• He says this year’s Aussie Open win was the biggest surprise of his career • His collapse, when up a set vs. Nadal at the 2006 French Open, together with his heartbreaking loss to Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon final, are his two best-known losses.
• Streets in Germany, hotel suites in New York and stamps in Switzerland are named for him.
• He has played in 32 countries and won titles in 19 of them. • He’s been Laureus Sportsman of the year four times.
• He’s been the ATP’s fan favorite for 14 straight years, their sportsman of the year for 12 straight years, the president of their Player Council for six years and No. 1 for a record 302 weeks.
• He played 65 consecutive Slams, reached the semis of 23 straight Slams, won 19 Slams, the Davis Cup once, and an Olympic doubles gold medal – but unlike his compatriot Marc Rosset, he’s never won an Olympic singles gold medal • He’s never been Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year.
• This year he’s won five titles and was 9-0 vs. top 10 players before losing to Zverev. But, has twice lost to players outside the top 100.
• He’s won four of the five most important tourneys this year and is No. 1 in the ATP’s Under Pressure Standings.
• He’s a citizen of both Switzerland and South Africa, speaks four languages, is a savvy businessman, a well-paid brand ambassador and his personal monogram is the most famous in sports.
• AC/DC, Bond films, “Finding Neverland,” “Good Will Hunting” and art museums have been some of his cultural diversions.
• He’s an uncle to twins • He’s never retired from a match • Fans debate which is the best Roger slogan, “Federer is Better-er,” “Roger That,” or “Shhh! Quiet! Genius at Work.”
