The Apprenticeship of Roger Federer: Long, Arduous and Fruitful

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: December 5, 2010

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16 Grand Slams to his name and still counting, Roger Federer, the Swiss champion, is master of all he surveys. One French Open, six Wimbledons, five US Opens and four Australian Opens (66 ATP titles); you could hardly call his trophy cupboard bare. His rivalry with Nadal is the stuff of legend, and an enduring tale for the ages. His challenger needs just one more slam to move into double digits and Borg territory.

The road to this state of affairs has been a long one. Before Federer embarked on his quest to be crowned the Greatest of All Time, beginning with his initial win in 2003 at Wimbledon, he had to first undergo an apprenticeship that would serve him well, one that would enable him to treat triumph and disaster as the impostors they are.

Roger Federer made his ATP Tour debut in 1998. His best result that year, aged 17, was a quarter-final in Toulouse in France after going through the grind of the qualifying rounds.

He improved by leaps and bounds in 1999, vaulting into the top 100 at the tender age of 18 years and four months. It was also the year he won his first Challenger title, defeating Max Mirnyi—an interesting bit of trivia for Mahesh Bhupathi fans.

ATP titles continued to elude him in 2000, though he did make the finals at Marseilles and Basel, succumbing  to countryman Marc Rosset and Thomas Enqvist respectively. 2000 also saw him make the Sydney Olympics semi-finals round, only to lose the bronze medal playoff to Di Pasquale.

But the Swiss considers it his best time investment ever, because he met his wife, Mirka, a tennis player, at the Olympics village, a partnership that has culminated in wedded bliss in 2009 and two lovely twin daughters, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. Incidentally, Roger Federer made the trip to the Olympics two more times, only to be frustrated in his attempt to secure gold in the singles event.

He did partner compatriot Wawrinka to the podium in ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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