Biography
Swiss-born professional
athlete, a tennis phenomenon who won five consecutive Wimbledon
championships, 2003-2007 inclusive, before he was 26 years old.
Federer is the younger of two children, the only son born to business
professionals from the pharmaceutical industry. Athletic from the time
he was young, he began playing tennis at age three and picked up soccer
shortly afterward. By age 14 he had pretty well decided that tennis was
his first love. He dropped out of school at age 16 because he felt that
his studies were keeping him from his tennis practice. His parents had
been totally supportive of his passion for tennis and had obtained
skillful coaches for him. Nevertheless, they extracted a promise that he
would return to school if his tennis career didn’t pan out. They needn’t
have worried. Somewhat hampered by his emotional outbursts at his own
mistakes, Federer underwent counseling to achieve the emotional coolness
required to compete. In 1998, he became the world junior champion and
his professional career took off.
By the end of 1999, he was the youngest player on the ATP list of the
top 100. Two years later with several wins under his belt, he won his
first ATP singles title in Milan. With his court performance soaring, he
defeated renowned champion Pete Sampras that same year. On July 6, 2003,
at the age of 22, Federer became the first Swiss to ever win at
Wimbledon. He has won the title every year since then, taking his fifth
consecutive title in 2007. With such a stellar record, he is ranked
number 1 singles tennis player in the world.
On the court, Federer is known for his agility, finesse and power. Off
the court, the as-yet unmarried, handsome lad is known for his
politeness and frank responses to interview questions. As of July 2007
his career earnings exceed $31 million from prizes alone. In 2003 he
established the Roger Federer Foundation, a charitable enterprise that
funds projects designed to help educate and provide sports training for
disadvantaged people.
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