Roger Federer - Life after tennis
If you had any doubts about his success on the tennis court, just take a look at his financial status: A personal fortune of 550 million dollars. Such a sum doesn't come by itself. He holds 102 titles in ATP tournaments around the world. Including 20 Grand Slam victories in Australia, Paris and the USA. Not to mention the impressive 8 times he won the finest tournament of them all: Wimbledon. Add to that numerous lucrative deals with major brands such as Rolex, Nike and Moët & Chandon.
His playing style was like his appearance. Sublime, elegant and with a superb understanding of the many facets of the game. Strong wrists that allowed him to vary his slices and topspin shots endlessly. He may not have been the fastest player on the ATP Tour. But he was the sharpest at reading angles and anticipating his shots.
"He's a player who takes time away from you," says friend and former opponent Tommy Haas, adding: "Anyone else would have hit that ball four hundredths, five hundredths of a second later, but it makes a difference in tennis. A few centimeters seem so infinitely further away when you're playing Roger Federer."
The golden four
Roger Federer is - or rather: was - part of the golden four that has dominated men's tennis for the last 20 years. A golden four consisting of Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and the Swiss 'maestro'. Federer has been number one in the ATP rankings for a total of 310 weeks. The first time he topped the world rankings was in February 2004, immediately after his first triumph at the Australia Open. It was a golden year for the then 22-year-old tennis player. In the same year, he won the US Open and regained his Wimbledon championship from 2003.
With Nadal, Djokovic and Murray constantly nipping at his heels, Federer has managed to stay on top until last fall, when he finally announced his retirement at the age of 41. "As many of you know, the last three years have been challenging for me with injuries and surgeries. I've worked hard to get back into competitive shape. But I know my body's capabilities and limits, and its message to me has been clear lately. I'm 41 years old. I've played more than 1,500 matches over the course of more than 24 years. Tennis has been more generous to me than I could have dreamed. But I must now recognize that it is time to end my career at the top level," he said shortly before he played his last tournament - the Laver Cup - last September.