Roger Federer will return to Wimbledon on Tuesday as the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) is set to celebrate the Swiss maestro’s achievements at the grass Major in a special ceremony on the Center Court.
Federer, who announced his retirement last year, won eight of his 20 Majors at Wimbledon. He holds the record for most men’s singles titles at The Championships and is second in the all-time list, only behind Martina Navratilova who won nine.
READ - Wimbledon to celebrate Federer’s career on Centre Court, Serena Williams declines invitation
Federer made his Wimbledon debut in 1999 as a 17-year-old where he lost to Czech Republic’s Jiri Novak in five sets. However, two years later, he made his first deep run at The Championships when he reached the quarterfinals in 2001 which included a stunning victory in five sets over seven-time champion Pete Sampras.
In 2003, the then World No. 5 Federer won his maiden Wimbledon title while dropping just one set in seven matches. The Swiss player beat American Andy Roddick In the next two finals at the grass Major to complete his hat-trick.
Federer then made it four Wimbledon titles in a row with a 6-0, 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 6-3 win over Rafael Nadal in the 2006 final after having lost to the Spaniard in the French Open final a few weeks earlier.
Nadal pushed Federer to five sets in the 2007 final but the Swiss man, who was the number one player in the world, prevailed 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-2. The win made Federer only the second male player after Bjorn Borg (1976-80) to clinch five straight Wimbledon titles.
Federer looked set to break Bjorg’s record as he reached the summit clash in 2008 but this time, in one of the best matches in the history of the sport, he lost 4-6, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(8), 7-9 to Nadal, which also ended his 41-match winning streak at the grass Major.
Federer also won the titles in 2009 and 2012 before going past Sampras’ all-time men’s record by beating Marin Cilic to clinch his eighth title in 2017.
| WIN-LOSS RECORD | 105-14 |
| TITLES | 8 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017) |
| TOTAL PRIZE MONEY EARNED | 19,082,676 USD |
Federer reached his 12th and last Wimbledon final in 2019, losing 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-4, 12-13 to Novak Djokovic. The Serbian had also defeated him in the summit clashes in 2014 and 2015.
Federer played his last match at The Championships in 2021 where he suffered a 3-6, 6-7(4), 0-6 defeat against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals.
FAQ: Can Novak Djokovic equal Federer’s Wimbledon record?
Djokovic can equal Federer’s all-time men’s record of eight Wimbledon titles by winning this year’s edition. Triumph at The Championships 2023 would also mean that the Serbian would become just the third man in history after Bjorn and Federer to win the grass Major five times in a row.
However, in terms of match wins, Djokovic is currently at 87 after his first-round victory against Pedro Cachin on Monday.
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