When Did Roger Federer Turn Pro?
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Roger Federer
20-time Grand Slam Champion, Roger Federer, has been playing professional tennis for more than two decades now. He has earned a big name in the sport and is one of the most successful athletes. Interestingly, during this span, he has won 20 Grand Slam titles to date.
Federer began playing tennis at the age of six years. He turned professional in 1998 when he was 17 but didn’t enjoy much success initially. In his first tournament in Gstaad, Switzerland (the Rado Open 1998), he lost to Lucas Arnold Ker in the very first round.
Before turning pro, the Swiss Maestro achieved many laurels in the junior category. He was the Junior World No.1 in 1998 and became the ITF Junior World Champion. Intriguingly, he also won the junior Wimbledon Championships in both the singles and doubles category in 1998.
Federer entered the top 100 ATP rankings in 1999. However, it was only in 2002 when the 20-time major winner landed in the top-10 rankings.
Roger Federer’s first-ever Grand Slam glory
Federer won his first Grand Slam title in 2003- almost five years after turning professional. He was 21-years-old at that time and the triumph came at the Wimbledon Championships 2003.
The Swiss legend defeated Mark Philippoussis straight sets in the finals of the tournament and it was the beginning of an era. From 2003 to 2009, Federer played seven consecutive finals at Wimbledon- which is a record in itself. As of now, he has won the most number of Wimbledon Championships (8) in men’s tennis till date.
He is a prolific player on grass and is the only one who has more than 100 victories at Wimbledon. Surprisingly, he has lost just 12 matches there.
Roger Federer’s career is definitely a testimony that irrespective of a poor start, one can achieve success in the sport. He continues to inspire youngsters and fans surely don’t want him to hang up his boots anytime soon.
Also Read: Will Roger Federer play Wimbledon 2021?
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Anshul Singh
(239 Articles Published)