Roger Federer was Immortalized as ‘Terracotta Warrior’ along with statues of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

ATP's Unique Project: Terracotta Warriors Immortalize Top Tennis Players in 2007

Roger Federer was Immortalized as ‘Terracotta Warrior’ along with statues of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Roger Federer (Credits: Yahoo sports)

In 2007, the ATP surprised tennis fans by commissioning terracotta statues of the top players for the season-ending Master’s Cup in Shanghai. The sculptures were made by French artist Laury Dizengremel and featured life-sized warrior statues of the world’s leading tennis players such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. 

The project aimed to merge sports and culture, similar to the Terracotta Army exhibit at the British Museum in London. During a Master Series stop in Montreal the previous month, players were measured, photographed, and had casts made of their faces in preparation for the project, with five spots still available in the field.

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Federer, who was the world’s number one at the time, embraced the idea of being sculpted as a terracotta warrior and saw it as an honor. “I think that being sculpted as a terracotta warrior is an honor, I think the idea is fun, bringing together culture and sport, and I’m looking forward to seeing the final result,” he said.

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The tennis version of the Terracotta Army was unveiled at the Master’s Cup in Shanghai in November 2007. The eight life-sized statues of the top tennis players were displayed, with Federer’s statue being a fan favorite. The project was praised by both the players and the fans and was considered a creative way to promote tennis and culture.

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The dominance of Roger Federer in the world of tennis

Roger Federer
Roger Federer (Credits: Twitter)

Roger Federer is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. The Swiss superstar has amassed an incredible collection of records and accolades over the course of his illustrious career, and his dominance of the sport has been nothing short of remarkable.

Federer first burst onto the scene in the early 2000s and quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with. He won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, and over the next few years, he would go on to dominate the sport like no other player before him.

Between 2004 and 2008, Federer won an incredible 11 Grand Slam titles, including three consecutive Wimbledon and US Open titles. He was virtually unbeatable on grass and hard courts, and his fluid, graceful style of play quickly endeared him to tennis fans around the world.

But Federer’s dominance wasn’t just limited to the Grand Slam tournaments. He also won a record-breaking 20 ATP World Tour Finals titles and spent a record-breaking 310 weeks as the world number one. He won a total of 103 singles titles over the course of his career, and his rivalry with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic produced some of the most memorable matches in tennis history.

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