Roger Federer was denied an early opportunity by the Queen’s Club that cemented his relationship with the Halle Open

Despite being one of the most iconic names, Roger Federer was denied a wild card to the Queen's Club once.

Roger Federer was denied an early opportunity by the Queen’s Club that cemented his relationship with the Halle Open

Roger Federer (via Daily Express)

Arguably the greatest grass-court player of all-time, Roger Federer had an enviable record at the Halle Open, winning it a record 10 times. But Federer’s relationship with Halle almost didn’t happen. In 2000, the Queen’s Club, another prestigious grass-court tournament, refused to give the ponytailed 18-year-old Federer a wild card. This meant that Federer had to look elsewhere to warm up for the Wimbledon Championships.

Roger Federer is one of the most elegant and graceful players ever to grace a tennis court. He will always be a perennial fan favorite. Federer won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and 103 ATP Singles titles overall (second only to Jimmy Connors’ 109), including a shared record of six ATP Finals. Roger Federer’s aura of supremacy will live on in the minds of tennis fans for decades.

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Among the many records that the Swiss maestro held, his record of being Number 1 for 237 consecutive weeks is unlikely to ever be surpassed in the foreseeable future. Roger Federer is a natural on grass courts. His slicing shots, kick serves, and graceful movement are perfectly suited for the surface. However, despite his success on grass courts, he has never won the Queen’s Club title. Queen’s Club is a prestigious ATP 250 event held in London.

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Federer impressed at the Halle Open in his debut appearance

Roger Federer
Roger Federer (via Eurosport)

Federer was disappointed, but he didn’t let it get him down. He decided to play in the Halle Open instead, a smaller grass-court tournament held in Germany. Federer had a good run in Halle, losing to Michael Chang in the quarterfinals. But more importantly, he made a lasting impression on the tournament organizers and the German fans.

The Halle Open is a smaller tournament than the Queen’s Club, but it has a long and proud history. It is also known for its fast grass courts, which were a perfect match for Federer’s style of play. Despite the loss, Federer was impressed with the Halle Open. He liked the atmosphere of the tournament and the way the organizers treated the players. He also felt that the grass courts in Halle were a good fit for his game.

Federer decided to return to Halle and remained faithful to Halle, playing there every year except 2007, 2009 and 2011 when he withdrew due to injuries. He won a record 10 titles at the Halle Open – 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019. Roger won four consecutive titles from 2003 to 2006. He won another hat trick of titles from 2013 to 2015. It is interesting to note that Federer also won a Doubles title at the Halle Open with compatriot Yves Allegro.

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