Roger Federer
Tennis player · Athlete · Philanthropist
b. 1981 · Born in Basel, Switzerland · 5 min read
- Verified: 14 November 2026
- Sources: 5
- Independently reviewed
_2_new.jpg){kind=link}
Swiss tennis player who won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record eight at Wimbledon, held the world No. 1 ranking for 310 weeks, and retired in 2022.
Early Life
Roger Federer was born on 8 August 1981 in Basel, Switzerland, the son of Robert Federer, a Swiss pharmaceutical executive, and Lynette Federer, a South African. He grew up in Münchenstein, near Basel, with his elder sister Diana, and played football and tennis as a boy before choosing tennis. He began playing at the age of eight at the local club in Basel, where he had once worked as a ball boy, and he was coached as a junior by Peter Carter, an Australian who shaped his game and died in a car accident in 2002. As a teenager he trained at the Swiss national tennis centre in Ecublens, near Lausanne, and he won the Wimbledon junior singles title in 1998 before turning professional later that year.
Education
Federer was educated in Switzerland, attending school in Münchenstein and then in Ecublens while training at the national tennis centre. He left formal education in his teens to pursue tennis full time, turning professional at seventeen. His tennis education came from his coaches: Peter Carter in his junior years, then Peter Lundgren, Tony Roche, Severin Lüthi and, briefly, Stefan Edberg and Ivan Ljubičić. In 2024 Dartmouth College in the United States awarded him an honorary doctorate, and he gave the commencement address, speaking about the discipline and resilience behind his career.
Career
Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland, and grew up in nearby Münchenstein. He began playing tennis at the age of eight and was a talented junior, winning the Wimbledon junior title in 1998, the year he turned professional. He won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, beating Mark Philippoussis, and in February 2004 he became world No. 1 after winning the Australian Open. From 2004 to 2007 he dominated the sport, winning three Grand Slam titles in 2004, two in 2005, three in 2006 and three in 2007, and reaching the final of every Grand Slam he played. He won the French Open in 2009 to complete the career Grand Slam, and in 2012 he won a seventh Wimbledon title and the Olympic singles silver medal in London. After knee surgery in 2016 he returned to win the Australian Open in 2017 and again in 2018, when he became the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles and the oldest world No. 1 at thirty-six. In 2019, at thirty-seven, he reached a twelfth Wimbledon final, losing to Novak Djokovic in the longest final in the tournament's history. Two operations on his right knee in 2020 kept him out for most of that year, and in September 2022 he announced his retirement, playing his final match in doubles with Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup in London. In August 2026 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, alongside the broadcaster Mary Carillo.
Achievements
Federer's achievements place him among the greatest tennis players in history. He won 20 Grand Slam men's singles titles, and in 2018 he became the first man to reach that total. His eight Wimbledon singles titles are a record, won in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017, and he also won six Australian Opens, five US Opens and one French Open, completing the career Grand Slam in 2009. He won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most since the start of the Open Era in 1968, along with 28 Masters titles and six year-end championships. He was ranked world No. 1 for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. At the Olympics he won the doubles gold medal with Stan Wawrinka in 2008 and the singles silver in 2012, and he won the Davis Cup with Switzerland in 2014.
- Won 20 Grand Slam men's singles titles, the first man to reach that total
- Won a record eight Wimbledon singles titles (2003-2007, 2009, 2012, 2017)
- Won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most in the Open Era
- Was ranked world No. 1 for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks
- Completed the career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in 2009
- Won the Olympic doubles gold medal with Stan Wawrinka at Beijing 2008
- Won the Olympic singles silver medal at London 2012
- Won the Davis Cup with Switzerland in 2014
- Won six year-end championships and 28 Masters titles
- Became the oldest world No. 1 at the age of thirty-six in 2018
- Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 2026
Legacy
Federer is remembered as one of the greatest tennis players of all time and as the player who carried the sport into a new era of global popularity. His graceful, attacking game, his sportsmanship and his longevity made him one of the most admired athletes in the world, and his rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic defined men's tennis for two decades. His records, including eight Wimbledon titles and 237 consecutive weeks at world No. 1, stood as benchmarks that his rivals later matched or passed. Off the court, the Roger Federer Foundation, founded in 2003, supports education for children in southern Africa and Switzerland, and he co-founded the Laver Cup team event in 2017. The documentary Federer: Twelve Final Days (2024) followed the days between his retirement announcement and his final match. In 2026 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Because he is a living person whose public work continues, this profile records only documented milestones and will need regular updating from reliable sources.
Contributions
Federer's contribution was to raise the standard of men's tennis and to carry it to a worldwide audience. His game combined an attacking single-handed backhand, a precise serve and graceful movement, and it showed that tennis could be both beautiful and dominant. His rivalries with Nadal and Djokovic produced some of the greatest matches ever played and pushed all three to records that had seemed unreachable. Off the court, his foundation has supported the education of children in southern Africa and Switzerland, and the Laver Cup, which he co-founded, created a new team event for the sport.
Notable Works
- 20 Grand Slam singles titles (2003–2018)
- Roger Federer Foundation (founded 2003)
- Laver Cup (co-founder, 2017)
- Federer: Twelve Final Days (2024 documentary)
- International Tennis Hall of Fame induction (2026)
Milestones
- 1981 — Born on 8 August in Basel, Switzerland Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1998 — Won the Wimbledon junior title; turned professional Source: Wikipedia
- 2003 — Won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon Source: Wikipedia
- 2004 — Became world No. 1 for the first time Source: Wikipedia
- 2008 — Won the Olympic doubles gold medal in Beijing Source: Wikipedia
- 2009 — Won the French Open, completing the career Grand Slam Source: Wikipedia
- 2012 — Won a seventh Wimbledon title and Olympic singles silver Source: Wikipedia
- 2014 — Won the Davis Cup with Switzerland Source: Wikipedia
- 2017 — Won the Australian Open on his return from knee surgery Source: Wikipedia
- 2018 — Became the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles; oldest world No. 1 at thirty-six Source: Wikipedia
- 2019 — Reached his twelfth Wimbledon final Source: Wikipedia
- 2022 — Announced his retirement; played his final match at the Laver Cup Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2026 — Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island Source: ATP Tour
Timeline
- 8 August 1981
Born in Basel, Switzerland
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1998
Won the Wimbledon junior title and turned professional
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 6 July 2003
Won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon
Source: Wikipedia - 2 February 2004
Became world No. 1 for the first time after winning the Australian Open
Source: Wikipedia - 16 August 2008
Won the Olympic doubles gold medal with Stan Wawrinka in Beijing
Source: Wikipedia - 7 June 2009
Won the French Open, completing the career Grand Slam
Source: Wikipedia - 5 August 2012
Won the Olympic singles silver medal in London
Source: Wikipedia - 2014
Won the Davis Cup with Switzerland
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 29 January 2017
Won the Australian Open on his return from knee surgery
Source: Wikipedia - 28 January 2018
Won the Australian Open, becoming the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles
Source: Wikipedia - 14 July 2019
Reached his twelfth Wimbledon final, losing to Novak Djokovic
Source: Wikipedia - 15 September 2022
Announced his retirement from professional tennis
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 23 September 2022
Played his final match, a doubles match with Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 29 August 2026
Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island
Source: ATP Tour
Related Personalities
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Roger Federer?
Roger Federer was born on 8 August 1981 in Basel, Switzerland, so Federer is 45 years old as of November 2026. Federer's age changes every year on 8 August. He is a Swiss former professional tennis player who won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and retired in 2022.
Source: Encyclopaedia BritannicaWho is Roger Federer?
Roger Federer (born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss former professional tennis player. He won 20 Grand Slam men's singles titles, including a record eight at Wimbledon, held the world No. 1 ranking for 310 weeks, and won 103 ATP singles titles before retiring in September 2022.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaHow many Grand Slam titles did Roger Federer win?
Federer won 20 Grand Slam men's singles titles: six Australian Opens (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018), one French Open (2009), eight Wimbledon titles (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017) and five US Opens (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008). In 2018 he became the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaHow many Wimbledon titles did Roger Federer win?
Federer won a record eight Wimbledon singles titles: in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017. He won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 and reached his twelfth Wimbledon final in 2019, losing to Novak Djokovic in the longest final in the tournament's history.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaHow long was Roger Federer ranked world No. 1?
Federer was ranked world No. 1 for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and he finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. In 2018, at the age of thirty-six, he became the oldest world No. 1 in the history of the rankings.
Source: Wikipedia ; Encyclopaedia BritannicaWhen did Roger Federer retire?
Federer announced his retirement on 15 September 2022, after two operations on his right knee in 2020 kept him out for most of that year. He played his final competitive match on 23 September 2022, a doubles match at the Laver Cup in London in which he partnered Rafael Nadal. Since retiring he has worked with his foundation and in business and fashion.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaSources & References
- Roger Federer — Encyclopaedia Britannica — Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Roger Federer — Wikipedia (cross-check) — Wikipedia (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Roger Federer — official website — Roger Federer official site (accessed 13 November 2026)
- File:Roger Federer (26 June 2009, Wimbledon) 2 new.jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Federer's Hall of Fame Induction — ATP Tour — ATP Tour (accessed 14 November 2026)