Roger Federer turned pro in 1998 and retired from tennis at the 2022 Laver Cup with numerous records and achievements. Roger is one of the most famous personalities in the sporting world. However, there are a lot of interesting things that we don’t know about the Swiss Maestro. In this article, we take a deeper dive into his life and unravel 10 such facts.
He is one of the greatest players to have played the sport. He retired with 20 Grand Slam titles which included six Australian Open, eight Wimbledon Open, one French Open, and five US Open titles.
In addition to his on-court achievements, he is well known for his philanthropic works, especially his foundation which helps the underprivileged children of Switzerland and South Africa.
Let us look at some of the lesser-known facts about the Swiss legend:
#1 Roger Federer quit schooling at the age of 16 to focus on his tennis career
Roger Federer who went on tour at the age of 16, had to stop schooling. He left home at 14 and when he was 16, it was no longer required to register in a school so he chose not to continue with education to focus on his tennis career.
#2 He was gifted a milking cow by Gstaad Open organizers after his first major win at the 2003 Wimbledon Open
Roger Federer won his first-ever Major Title in 2003 at the Wimbledon Open defeating Mark Philippoussis in the finals. Later he was surprised by the organizers when he had gone to play the Swiss Open by gifting him a milking cow. He named the cow ‘Juliette’. The cow also had a baby which he named ‘Edelweiss’.
#3 Roger Federer holds dual citizenship in Switzerland and South Africa
Roger Federer was born in the year 1981 in Basel, Switzerland to Robert and Lynette Federer. His Swiss-German father, Robert is from Switzerland whereas his mother Lynette is from Kempton Park, Gauteng in South Africa. It is because of his mother that he holds South African citizenship as well.
#4 In 2007, Federer became the first living Swiss person to be featured on a Swiss stamp and also has a street named after him
A one-franc Swiss stamp was released in 2007 which featured a picture of Roger Federer holding his Wimbledon title. It was done to honor him for his remarkable career. There is also a street named after him, Allee Roger Federer in Biel.
#5 Roger Federer was a vegetarian till the age of 16 when he was introduced to meat eating by his countryman Marc Rosset
In an interview with Coopzeitung, Federer revealed that he was a vegetarian until he was introduced to meat eating by his countryman Marc Rosset when he was 16 at the Davis Cup. He joined the Swiss Davis Cup team for the first time and went to a steakhouse with his teammates.
#6 In 2003, he established the Roger Federer Foundation to help underprivileged children.
The Roger Federer Foundation was established with the aim to help underprivileged children promote their access to education and sport. It operates in seven countries with 29 partner organizations and has benefitted more than 2.5 million children in their higher education.
#7 Federer was the highest-paid athlete on Forbes 2020 list
Roger Federer is the first tennis player to reach No. 1 on Forbes' list of the highest-paid athletes in the world 🎾 pic.twitter.com/9UZRfPKvCx
— ESPN (@espn) May 29, 2020
Roger Federer topped the list of Forbes’s highest-paid athletes in 2020 with a staggering earning of $106.3 million. It was the first time that a tennis player topped the list since the list made its debut in 1990. His earnings include $6.3 million in prize money and the other $ 100 million from endorsements and appearance fees. In 2019, he was the fifth highest-paid athlete.
#8 Federer has two sets of identical twins
Roger Federer is one of the luckiest men on the planet who is blessed with two sets of twins.
In 2009, he and his wife Mirka gave birth to two twin daughters named ‘Charlene’ and ‘Myla’ and in 2014 he was blessed with a set of twin sons named ‘Lenny’ and ‘Leo’.
#9 Roger Federer had anger management problems in his teenage years
The Swiss maestro has been known for his personality on and off the court. Federer always carried a smile on his face irrespective of a win or loss. He never lost his cool on the court. But, it is hard to believe that the same Federer had anger management issues during his teenage years. He would also smash his rackets and would throw tantrums during his matches. His parents were worried about his behavior after his matches.
#10 Roger Federer was excused from military service due to back problems
Every citizen of Switzerland has to undergo compulsory military service for 1 year in the Swiss Armed Forces. Roger Federer was also selected for the same in 2003. However, he was later ruled unsuitable and was not required to fulfill his military training due to a chronic back problem. He was required to pay 3% of his taxable income as an alternative.
