[Epoch Times, September 18, 2022](Epoch Times reporter Li Rongshi comprehensive report) The 41-year-old Swiss tennis king Roger Federer announced a few days ago that he will officially end his 24-year career. Although people had long expected this day, when it came, many fans still sighed. With his elegant “SLR” style of play, Federer has dominated the tennis world for many years, setting many records that are most difficult to surpass.
The only two-time Grand Slam five-peat
Federer has announced that he will officially retire after the Laver Cup in London. As soon as the news came out, the price of tickets for the Laver Cup skyrocketed. September 25 – The last day of the Laver Cup will be Federer’s real retirement battle.
Federer, together with Nadal and Djokovic, and dubbed the “Big Three” in men’s tennis, dominated tennis for 19 years. Federer is the oldest and takes the lead in dominating the tennis world. At its peak, people joked, give the Grand Slam title straight to Federer. At that time, only Spain’s “king of clay” Nadal held on to the “Holy Land” of clay at the French Open. In Federer’s total of 20 Grand Slam titles, the only French Open title is also particularly dazzling.
Since the beginning of 2004, after succeeding the American star Roddick as the “world number one”, Federer has remained the world number one for 237 consecutive weeks. From 2004 to 2008, Federer won the U.S. Open for five consecutive years, becoming the only male player in the Open era. No player has successfully defended his title at the US Open since. If you count the five-game winning streak at Wimbledon, Federer is also the only player in the Open era to achieve a second “five-straight” championship.
Federer is also the only male player in the Open Era to have won five or more titles in three majors, including six Australian Opens, eight Wimbledons and five U.S. Opens. The closest to Federer’s achievement is Djokovic, the Serbian king is two US Open champions away; and Nadal has failed to reach the top five times in three other Grand Slam tournaments except the French Open.
After surpassing Sampras’ 14 Grand Slam titles, Federer established himself as the number one player in tennis history (GOAT) early. But what is amazing is that Nadal and Djokovic not only rose strongly, but also had strong stamina, and their peak period was super long. Today, Nadal ranks first with 22 crowns; Djokovic is close behind with 21 crowns; Federer is finally fixed at 20 crowns.
However, it is undeniable that Federer has done a good job. His style of play is elegant, elegant and refined, and his contribution to tennis is unparalleled. Federer has won the Lawrence Athlete of the Year five times and won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times, which is second to none in the entire world sport.
Federer is famous for zero scandal
The 41-year-old Federer last played at Wimbledon last year, 14 months from today. During this period, he did not play a game. In fact, Federer’s retirement has long been a sign. Federer has had three knee surgeries since 2020, missed the past five Grand Slams and has his ATP points cleared.
Federer has been slow to announce his retirement, which is also related to his commercial sponsorship contract. Over the past two years, Federer has received nearly $90 million in commercial sponsorships each year, while his tournament prize money totals only $30,000. Federer has won a total of $130 million in tournament bonuses so far in his career, while his off-court earnings have exceeded $1 billion.
In today’s world of gold and money, Federer has never had a scandal, which is commendable. His good external image has greatly enhanced his ability to attract money. And Federer’s success, in addition to his own efforts, his wife Mirka also contributed.
In 2009, Federer and Mirka entered the marriage hall. Mirka is also a tennis player, once ranked 76th in the world. After suffering a serious injury in 2003, Mirka chose to retire and began to be Federer’s “good helper”. It was in that year that Federer won his first Grand Slam trophy.
The pair have two sets of twins – girls Mila and Charlene, 13, and boys Leo and Lenny, 8. Although both parents are top professional tennis players, none of their children like tennis, and the children never even know that their father once dominated tennis.
In the future, people will no longer see Federer’s family and family when they are running around the world, and his gorgeous and elegant “SLR” (one-handed backhand shot) may be hard to see again.
Federer’s retirement means the “Big Three” era is officially over. This season, Nadal, 36, has won the Australian Open and French Open, and Djokovic, 35, has topped Wimbledon. The rivalry between the two is expected to continue until the rising star grows to dominate the men’s tennis scene.
Responsible editor: Zheng Huang