London, 23 September 2022, a tearful Roger Federer said goodbye to tennis after a doubles match in front of 17,500 people at the Laver Cup with his longtime rival Rafael Nadal.
The pair were defeated 4-6, 7-6 (2), 11-9 by Team World’s Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. Despite the loss, Friday’s story was all about Federer and the final chapter of an illustrious career that signed him off as one of the greatest athletes in the history of tennis and perhaps sport in general.
‘It’s been a perfect journey; I would do it all over again’, said the 41-year-old, as he called time on after a 24-year career.
His achievements speak for themselves; along the way, he won 20 Grand Slams: 8 at Wimbledon, 6 at the Australian Open, 5 at the US Open, and 1 at the French Open. His win at Roland-Garros in 2009 completed the career Grand Slam, while his 8 Wimbledon crowns are also a men’s record. He won his first grand slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 and became the first Swiss tennis star ever to have won a singles grand slam.
The Swiss spent 310 weeks of his career ranked as the world’s best, which is only a few behind only Djokovic at 373 weeks. However, Federer kept the top spot for 237 straight weeks.
But despite all of this, perhaps what makes Federer so special is his off-court triumphs. Here are 5 things you didn’t know about Roger Federer!
1) In 2009, Federer married his longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec, a former Swiss professional tennis player. Federer met Mirka at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Mirka is three years older than Federer. She reached her career-high WTA singles ranking of world No. 76. The couple welcomed their first twin girls, Myla and Charlene in 2009 and had another set of twins, fraternal boys, Leo and Lenny in 2014. The four children are seen to be keen tennis players like their parents.
2) Roger is a philanthropist: He established the ‘Roger Federer Foundation’ in 2003 to help children in countries with a mortality rate above 15%. When he started the foundation, he did not have enough money. However, he dedicated a part of his life and a portion of his earnings to this noble cause. His wife, Mirka, also supports her husband.
3) His favourite holiday destinations are the Maldives, Dubai, and the Swiss mountains. Federer owns luxury penthouses in Dubai and Valbella (Switzerland). He also has a luxury mansion on Zurich Lake, which cost over $8 million.
4) Two of the main rivals of Roger Federer include Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. Federer and Djokovic have faced each other 45 times, with Djokovic leading 23–22. However, Federer and Nadal have faced each other 38 times, with Nadal leading 23-15 (as of 24 February 2018).
5) After winning his first ever Wimbledon title, as a gift from tournament organisers in Gstaad, Switzerland, Roger Federer was gifted a milking cow, which he named Juliette.
