[Epoch Times, Medi 18, 2022](Epoch Times reporter Li Rongshi’s 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 awaited this day, when it came, many fans still sighed. With his elegant “SLR” playing style, Federer has dominated the tennis world for many years, setting many records that are most difficult to surpass.
The only two-time five-peat Grand Slam
Federer has announced that he will officially retire after the Laver Cup in London. As soon as the news got out, the price of tickets for the Laver Cup skyrocketed. September 25 – The final day of the Laver Cup will be Federer’s real retirement battle.
Federer, together with Nadal and Djokovic, and called 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 were joking, give Federer the Grand Slam title straight away. At that time, only the Spanish “king of clay” Nadal held his grip on 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 shining.
Since the beginning of 2004, after succeeding the American star Roddick as “world number one”, Federer has remained world number one for 237 consecutive weeks. Between 2004 and 2008, Federer won the US Open for five consecutive years, becoming the only male player in the Open era. No player has successfully defended his US Open title since then. If you count the five-match winning streak at Wimbledon, Federer is also the only player in the Open era to win a second “five straight” championship.
Federer is also the only male player in the Open Era to win five or more titles at three majors, including six Australian Opens, eight Wimbledons and five US 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 excluding the French Open.
Having surpassed Sampras’ 14 Grand Slam titles, Federer established himself as the greatest player in the history of tennis (GOAT) early on. But what is amazing is that Nadal and Djokovic not only rose strongly, but also had strong stamina, and their peak period was very long. Today, Nadal is in first place with 22 crowns; Djokovic is close behind with 21 crowns; Federer is finally set on 20 crowns.
Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that Federer has done a good job. His playing style is elegant, refined 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 unmatched in the entire world of sports.
Federer is famous for no scandal
Federer, 41, 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 operations since 2020, missed the last five Grand Slams and has had his ATP points cleared.
Federer has been slow to announce his retirement, which is also linked to his commercial sponsorship contract. Over the past two years, Federer has received nearly $90 million in commercial sponsorship each year, while his tournament prize money is just $30,000. Federer has earned 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 silver, Federer has never had a scandal, which is commendable. His good external image has greatly improved his ability to attract money. And Federer’s success, as well as his own efforts, his wife Mirka also contributed.
In 2009, Federer and Mirka entered the wedding 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 “a good assistant” to Federer.” In that year 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, neither of their children likes tennis, and the children don’t even know that their father once dominated tennis.
In the future, people will no longer see Federer’s family and family when they run around the world, and it may be difficult to see his beautiful and elegant “SLR” (one-handed handheld shot) again.
Federer’s retirement means the “Big Three” era is officially over. This season, Nadal, 36, has won the Australian and French Opens, and Djokovic, 35, has topped Wimbledon. The competition between the two is expected to continue until the star grows to dominate the men’s tennis scene.
Responsible editor: Zheng Huang
