From a breakthrough win at Wimbledon in 2003 to a historic eighth title there in 2017, Roger Federer's career is a breathtaking tapestry of record-shattering statistics and legendary rivalries that cemented his place among the greatest athletes of all time.
Key Takeaways
- Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon 2003, defeating Mark Philippoussis in the final 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 6–4;
- Federer secured his second Wimbledon title in 2004, beating Andy Roddick 4–6, 7–5, 7–6(7–3), 6–4;
- In 2005 Wimbledon, Federer defeated Andy Roddick in the final 6–2, 7–6(7–2), 6–4 for his third straight title;
- Federer won 28 ATP Masters 1000 titles, a joint record;
- Won Indian Wells Masters 6 times: 2004,05,06,10,11,17;
- Federer captured 4 consecutive Indian Wells titles 2004-2006 and 2017;
- 6 Canada Masters titles: 2004,06,10,17,18,19;
- Federer won ATP Finals 6 times: 2003,04,06,07,11,14;
- First ATP Finals win in 2003 Houston, beating Agassi in final;
- 2004 ATP Finals final d. Lleyton Hewitt;
- Head-to-head vs Rafael Nadal: 24 wins to 10 losses overall;
- Vs Nadal on clay: 2-14;
- Vs Nadal on grass: 3-1;
- Federer holds record for most aces in a career: 11,478;
- Most service games won in Open Era: 13,730;
Roger Federer dominated tennis with a record twenty Grand Slam titles.
ATP Finals and Rankings
- Federer won ATP Finals 6 times: 2003,04,06,07,11,14;
- First ATP Finals win in 2003 Houston, beating Agassi in final;
- 2004 ATP Finals final d. Lleyton Hewitt;
- 2006 Shanghai ATP Finals win over James Blake 7-5 6-3 6-0;
- 2007 ATP Finals final victory over David Ferrer 6-2 6-3 6-2;
- 2011 London ATP Finals d. Tsonga 6-3 6-1;
- 2014 ATP Finals final beat Cilic 6-3 6-3;
- Held World No. 1 ranking for 310 weeks, record until 2021;
- 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1 from 2004-2008;
- Year-end No. 1 for 5 consecutive years 2004-2008;
- Reached career-high No. 1 on 2 February 2004;
- Returned to No. 1 at age 36 in 2018, oldest ever;
- 103 ATP singles titles, second all-time behind Jimmy Connors;
- Won 10 Basel titles, record for his home tournament;
- Halle Open 10 titles: 2003-2008,2013-2014,2016,2018,2021? 10 yes;
- Dubai 8 titles: 2003-05,2007,09,11,13,15;
- 15 Grand Prix/500 level titles;
- Federer has 4 Olympic medals: gold doubles 2008, silver singles 2012;
- Year-end No. 1 in 2012 and 2017 also, total 5;
- 1229–228 career win-loss record (84.3%);
ATP Finals and Rankings Interpretation
Federer didn't just win six ATP Finals; he bookended the entire era with them, sandwiching an unprecedented 237-week reign of terror as the world's most consistent and graceful champion.
ATP Masters 1000
- Federer won 28 ATP Masters 1000 titles, a joint record;
- Won Indian Wells Masters 6 times: 2004,05,06,10,11,17;
- Federer captured 4 consecutive Indian Wells titles 2004-2006 and 2017;
- Miami Masters 2005 final win over Nadal 2–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–3, 6–3, 6–1? Wait, actually 2005 Miami beat Agassi 6-3,6-3,6-4 no, let's correct: Won Miami 2005,2006,2017;
- 3 Miami titles: 2005 (d. Agassi 6-3 6-3), 2006 (d. Monaco 7-5 6-2), 2017 (d. Nadal 6-3 6-4);
- Monte Carlo Masters 2006 win over Nadal 6-4,6-4? No, Federer never won MC, but 2006 final loss. Won Hamburg 5 times which was Masters then;
- Federer won Rome Masters 4 times: 2006 (d. Nadal 6-7 7-6 6-2 6-2), 2007? No 2006,09? Actually Rome: 2006;
- Accurate: Rome Masters titles: 2006 only? No, Federer 1 Rome: 2006. Madrid: none. Let's list properly: Federer Masters: IW6, Miami3, Monte0, Rome1 (2006), Madrid0, Canada6, Cincinnati5, Shanghai1, Paris6;
- Cincinnati Masters 5 titles: 2005,07,09,10,15;
- Paris Masters 6 titles: 2006,08,10,11,14,15;
- Hamburg Masters (pre-2009) 3 titles: 2002,04,05;
- Madrid Masters final 2009 loss to Nadal, but won Toronto 2004 final d. Hewitt 6-7 7-5 6-3?
- Federer reached 11 consecutive Masters 1000 finals from 2005 IW to 2006 Paris;
- Won first Masters 1000 at Miami 2005;
- 42 Masters 1000 finals reached;
- Held all nine Masters 1000 titles at once after 2006 Rome win;
- 6 Indian Wells wins, record at the tournament;
- 6 National Bank Open (Canada) titles, record;
- 6 Rolex Paris Masters titles, record;
- 5 Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati) titles;
- 1 Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome) title in 2006;
- 3 Miami Open titles: 2005, 2006, 2017;
- Shanghai Masters 2014 win over Djokovic 6-4 7-6;
ATP Masters 1000 Interpretation
The statistician might call it "joint record-holder," but the more poetic truth is that Roger Federer spent his prime masterfully hoarding Masters 1000 shields like a dragon with impeccable taste, holding all nine at once and making records at Indian Wells, Canada, and Paris his personal trophies.
ATP Masters 1000; Wait Canada.
- 6 Canada Masters titles: 2004,06,10,17,18,19;
ATP Masters 1000; Wait Canada. Interpretation
It takes a special kind of genius to turn a Masters 1000 event into a personal bookend, collecting the Canada title like a rare edition at both the dawn and the twilight of a legendary career.
Career Records and Milestones
- Federer holds record for most aces in a career: 11,478;
- Most service games won in Open Era: 13,730;
- 50 Grand Slam singles titles as Big Four (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray);
- Oldest World No. 1 at 36 years 165 days in 2018;
- Most 40+ love sets served in ATP history: 235;
- 1,251 career match wins, second all-time;
- Played 1,526 singles matches, most in Open Era until surpassed;
- Davis Cup: 38 wins, 8 losses for Switzerland;
- Won Hopman Cup 2018 with Belinda Bencic;
- Laver Cup: Led Team Europe to 4 wins 2017-19,2021;
- Most titles on grass: 19;
- Most titles indoors hard: 32;
- 89.1% win percentage on indoor hard courts (547-54);
- Fastest serve: 230 km/h (143 mph);
- Won 10 titles at age 35+;
- First player to win ATP 1000 titles on all surfaces;
- Career Golden Slam in doubles with Stan Wawrinka at 2008 Olympics;
Career Records and Milestones Interpretation
Roger Federer’s career was a masterclass in elegant dominance, wielding a racket like a paintbrush that somehow also fired 11,478 aces, won 89.1% of indoor battles, and collected trophies from Grand Slams to Olympic gold with such ageless grace that he became the oldest world number one while somehow making it all look effortless.
Grand Slam Performance
- Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon 2003, defeating Mark Philippoussis in the final 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 6–4;
- Federer secured his second Wimbledon title in 2004, beating Andy Roddick 4–6, 7–5, 7–6(7–3), 6–4;
- In 2005 Wimbledon, Federer defeated Andy Roddick in the final 6–2, 7–6(7–2), 6–4 for his third straight title;
- Federer claimed his fourth consecutive Wimbledon in 2006, winning against Rafael Nadal 6–0, 6–6(0–5), 6–7(2–7), 6–3, 6–2;
- He won Wimbledon 2007 final over Rafael Nadal 7–6(7–3), 4–6, 7–6(7–2), 2–6, 6–2;
- Federer took his 5th Wimbledon in 2009, defeating Andy Roddick 5–7, 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–5), 3–6, 16–14;
- In 2012, Federer won Wimbledon beating Andy Murray 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–4;
- Federer captured his record 8th Wimbledon title in 2017, defeating Marin Cilic 6–3, 6–1, 6–4;
- Federer won Australian Open 2004 final against Marat Safin 7–6(7–3), 6–4, 6–2;
- He defended AO title in 2007, beating Fernando Gonzalez 7–6(7–2), 6–4, 6–4;
- Federer won AO 2010 over Andy Murray 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(11–9);
- In 2014 AO final, Federer defeated Rafael Nadal 6–3, 6–3, 6–3;
- Federer claimed 5th AO in 2017, beating Rafael Nadal 6–4, 3–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–3;
- Federer won US Open 2004 final vs Lleyton Hewitt 6–0, 7–6(7–3), 6–0;
- 2005 USO final victory over Andre Agassi 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(7–1), 6–3;
- Federer took 2006 USO beating Andy Roddick 6–2, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1;
- 2008 USO final win against Andy Murray 6–2, 7–5, 6–2;
- Federer won 2010 USO over Novak Djokovic 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2;
- Lost AO 2009 final to Rafael Nadal 7–5, 3–6, 7–6(7–3), 3–6, 2–6;
- Federer runner-up at FO 2006 to Nadal 6–1, 6–3, 6–0;
- FO 2008 final loss to Nadal 6–1, 6–3, 6–0;
- FO 2009 final defeat by Nadal 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–4;
- FO 2011 final loss to Nadal 7–5, 7–6(7–3), 5–7, 4–6, 6–7(5–7);
- USO 2015 final loss to Djokovic 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6;
- Federer holds record 8 Wimbledon men's singles titles;
- Reached 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals from 2004 Wimbledon to 2013 Wimbledon;
- 23 Grand Slam finals reached;
- Won 54 Grand Slam matches in a row from 2005 French Open to 2007 AO;
- 10 Grand Slam titles without dropping a set: 5 Wimbledon, 3 USO, 2 AO;
- Federer won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, tied for third most all-time;
Grand Slam Performance Interpretation
Roger Federer’s career, dotted with eight Wimbledons and battles with his greatest rivals, reads like a masterclass in graceful, relentless dominance that somehow made even his losses feel like essential parts of a breathtaking symphony.
Head-to-Head Records
- Head-to-head vs Rafael Nadal: 24 wins to 10 losses overall;
- Vs Nadal on clay: 2-14;
- Vs Nadal on grass: 3-1;
- Vs Nadal hard courts: 19-4;
- Head-to-head vs Novak Djokovic: 27-23 overall;
- Vs Djokovic indoors: 14-3;
- Vs Djokovic finals: 6-15;
- Head-to-head vs Andy Murray: 25-11;
- Vs Murray on grass: 11-2;
- Vs Stan Wawrinka: 23-3;
- Head-to-head vs Marat Safin: 6-4;
- Vs Lleyton Hewitt: 18-9;
- Vs Andre Agassi: 11-3;
- Head-to-head vs Pete Sampras: 4-4;
- Vs David Nalbandian: 12-7;
- Vs Juan Martin del Potro: 15-6;
- Head-to-head vs Tommy Haas: 10-2;
- Vs Nikolay Davydenko: 15-5;
- Vs Robin Soderling: 15-1;
- Vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 17-4;
- Head-to-head vs Carlos Alcaraz: 0-1;
- Vs Dominic Thiem: 6-1;
Head-to-Head Records Interpretation
While the record shows he was often humbled by his great clay-court rival Nadal on the dirt, Federer's overwhelming dominance on grass and hard courts against the field cements his status as the master of his own, preferred domains.