Roger Federer’s journey to becoming one of the greatest tennis players of all time is remarkable, and his story reflects the dedication and support he received from his family. The financial sacrifices made by his parents and his father’s words highlight the difficulties faced to support him.
His father Robert Federer wanted him to play professionally and made sure that he made it to the top 100. He was of the opinion that only the players in the top 100 players are able to make a little bit of money and make a living out of the sport and pay his other expenses such as his coaches and traveling.
“My dad said if you become a tennis professional just make sure you get into the top hundred because you have to make a little bit of money. You make a living so you can pay your coaching and, you know, your travels.”
-Roger Federer on his father
He had earlier mentioned that his parents had to spend around 30,000 Swiss francs a year to pay for his tennis training which was quite expensive. It was difficult for them to afford such a huge amount of money for his training for a long period and also gave him an ultimatum of two years to find success in the sport when he was just 16.
Roger Federer: A Family Man.#federerfamily #rogerfederer #federerforever #rforever pic.twitter.com/XN3jJvSnb1
— The Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal Dynasty (@RogerRafaLegacy) January 2, 2024
Federer’s dedication paid off as he rose to become the World No.1 player and establish himself as one of the greatest players in tennis history. He played professional tennis for more than two decades and his numerous records include 103 ATP singles titles out of which 20 are Grand Slam titles, 310 weeks as the No.1 player, and over 1200 wins in the Open Era. He finished his career with $131 million in prize money.
Playing against Roger Federer was a challenge for Mikhail Youzhny
A majority of the 2000s have been dominated by the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in the tennis circuit. The three have a combined Grand Slam tally of 64, which makes it extremely rare for other players.
Former Russian tennis player Mikhail Youzhny reflects on his era of playing against Roger Federer in an interview with Tennis Majors. He mentioned the challenges he faced while playing against the Swiss though he feels that there were quite similarities in their playing styles.
“But for me and not just me, but for thousands of players – it was really tough to play against Roger Federer. We played a lot of times on grass…..To be honest, out of all 17 matches, maybe twice, I had a chance to beat him.”
“It’s simple – we played the same style of tennis, but he did everything better than me: his serve was better, my slice didn’t work against him.”
-Mikhail Youzhny in an interview with Tennis Majors
