ATP Legend Roger Federer is one of the most decorated professional tennis players to ever play the game. Over the course of his 23-year career, the Swiss Maestro has captured 20 Grand Slam singles titles:
At the pinnacle of his game, Federer won three Slams per year on three separate occasions and reached the finals in 18 out of 19 Grand Slams, winning over half of them (12).. Additionally, he holds the record for the most number of weeks at No. 1, with 310 weeks. Of those weeks, 237 were consecutive — another world record.. While anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of tennis history knows about the aforementioned achievements, there are a few lesser-known records that Federer may retain well after he’s hung up his racket. Let’s take a look!
Reached 10 Semifinals at Three Different Grand Slam Tournaments
Entering the pro tour in 1998 at just 17 years old, Federer has had more than 20 years to achieve several longevity records that no other player may ever surpass. During the apex of his career from 2004-2010, the Swiss legend reached a record 46 Grand Slam semifinals and 23 consecutive Slam semifinals.
Although he currently shares the record for reaching at least eight semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments with top-ranked Novak Djokovic, he stands alone in another category. Federer has reached 10 semifinals matches in three different Grand Slams.. He’s been among the last four standing at 14 Wimbledon tournaments, 10 U.S. Open competitions, and 15 Australian Opens. His consistency is unrivaled among members of the ATP.
Undefeated in Grass Court Semifinals Excluding Injury-Ridden 2016
What comes to mind when Rafael Nadal’s name is mentioned? Most often it’s his dominance on the clay court and his nearly unbeaten record on the surface. Similarly, Novak Djokovic has won 11 Grand Slam tournaments on the hard court.
In regard to a player’s dominance on a particular surface, Federer is often considered the “King of Grass,” with 8 Wimbledon titles. The lack of tournaments on grass is the only reason Fed Express is lagging behind the other two members of the ATP’s Big 3.. Since his first final grass-court title at Halle in 2003, Federer has a 27-3 record in semifinals on the fast court. If you exclude his injury-ridden 2016 season, which caused him to miss half the year, Federer has an undefeated record in semifinals on grass.
Won Titles on All Three Surfaces in a Season Eight Times
While Federer has always struggled on the clay court all while remaining denominate on grass, he is still one of the most versatile players in professional tennis. Regardless of the surface, Federer will wear his opponent out whether win or lose.
In order to determine who the best all-around tennis player is out of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, some context is in order. Nadal is the only player to have won two Slam titles on each of the three surfaces. Djokovic, on the other hand, is the only tennis athlete since Rod Laver to have simultaneously held all four Majors.. Federer, however, may have both these legends beat. The Swiss superstar has won titles on grass, clay, and hard courts in the same season a staggering eight times throughout his lucrative career.. In comparison, Nadal and Djokovic have won titles on all three surfaces during the same season just four and two times respectively.