Happy Birthday, Roger Federer, Record-Breaking Tennis Player

Born to a family of passionate tennis fans on August 8, 1981, Roger Federer grew up around the game. His parents, Lynette and Robert, worked for the same pharmaceutical company and met on a business trip in Lynette’s native South Africa. They raised Roger and his older sister Diana in Münchenstein, a town outside of Basel, Switzerland. Roger played in the Basel junior program, and looked up to fiery German tennis star Boris Becker.

When he was just 13, Roger accepted an invitation to the Swiss national training center near Lausanne, where French was the primary language. German-speaking Roger felt “isolated by many of the students and coaches,” and dreaded returning to the training center after weekends at home with his family. However, his dedication would soon pay off.

In 1998, Federer’s game began coming together. He was the International Tennis Federation’s top-ranking player, winning the Wimbledon junior singles and doubles titles, and finishing strong in other prominent junior tournaments.

Federer is known for being emotional on the court, often crying when victorious. But when he was younger, the tears were often borne of pain, not joy. In an interview with The Guardian, Federer said, “I don’t cry at movies too often. But on the tennis court I find it hard to keep my emotions together. As a teenager I would cry after almost every match I lost for about half an hour.”

However, one particular off-the-court incident had Federer reeling. In 2002, his first coach, Australian Peter Carter, was killed in a car crash during a safari in South Africa.

Of Carter, Federer said, “He is the one person who truly opened my eyes to what I could achieve, because maybe I was not taking the game seriously enough at times.”

In 2003, Federer won Wimbledon, his first grand slam victory, and the first for a Swiss man. Despite being only 21 years old, Federer felt pressure to get the first major tournament win out of the way. He did so in stunning fashion, “ripping returns on serves that made line judges, ball boys and spectators flinch. He … spun aces off lines and crafted crisp volleys” in a three-set win over 6 foot 4 Mark Philippoussis.

In February 2008, “Federer reached the four year anniversary mark as the No. 1 player,” the longest streak in professional tennis. At that point, he’d won 41 titles, including 10 Grand Slams. He was one of a trio of players who’d won at least 10 titles in the previous four years, along with Rafael Nadal (23) and Andy Roddick (12).

Blog Critics magazine called the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal the best in sports right now. “Two things make a great rivalry: two opponents at the top of their sport, and two opponents whose matches against each other are always entertaining. Federer and Nadal deliver on both fronts.”

The rivalry was cemented at the 2008 Wimbledon final, when Nadal trumped Federer in what the BBC called “possibly the best match we will see in our lifetimes.” After the loss, Federer said, “It’s a shame I couldn’t win it but I’ll be back next year.” The BBC gives a play-by-play of the 2008 Federer vs. Nadal match.

In 2009, Federer regained his rank of number one tennis player and surpassed Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam wins when he beat Andy Roddick to win Wimbledon, making it his 15th Grand Slam win.

Federer’s play is so beautiful, that watching him has been likened to a religious experience. Wrote David Foster Wallace in The New York Times, “His anticipation and court sense are otherworldly, and his footwork is the best in the game.”

Men’s tennis has seen its popularity dwindle over the past decade, as huge serves have largely replaced graceful shots and volleys. However, Federer’s talent seems to be pushing the game forward.

Said Wallace, “He has, figuratively and literally, re-embodied men’s tennis, and for the first time in years the game’s future is unpredictable.”