Roger Federer

Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Roger Federer 

 has huge popularity in the world of sport. He was ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. He has won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most of all time after Jimmy Connors, including 20 Grand Slam titles, a record eight men's singles Wimbledon titles, an Open Era record-tying five men's singles US Open titles, and a record six year-end championships.

Federer has played in an era where he dominated men's tennis along with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Referred to as the Big Three, they are considered by some to be the three greatest tennis players of all time. A Wimbledon junior champion in 1998, Federer won his first major singles title at Wimbledon in 2003 at age 21. In 2004, he won three of the four major singles titles and the ATP Finals, a feat he repeated in 2006 and 2007. From 2005 to 2010, he made 18 out of 19 major singles finals. During this span, he won five consecutive titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open. He completed the career Grand Slam at the 2009 French Open after three previous runner-up finishes to Nadal, his main rival until 2010. At age 27, he surpassed Pete Sampras' record of 14 major men's singles titles at Wimbledon in 2009.

Although Federer remained in the top 3 during most of the early 2010s, the success of Djokovic and Nadal ended his dominance over grass and hard courts. From mid-2010 through the end of 2016, he only won one major title. During this period, he and Stan Wawrinka led the Switzerland Davis Cup team to their first title in 2014, adding to the gold medal the pair won together in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Federer also won a silver medal in singles from the 2012 London Olympics, where he finished runner-up to Andy Murray. After taking half a year off in late 2016 to recover from knee surgery, he had a renaissance at the majors, winning three more major titles over the next two years, including the 2017 Australian Open over Nadal and a record eighth men's singles Wimbledon title later in 2017. In 2018, he became the oldest ATP world No. 1 at age 36.

A versatile all-court player, Federer's perceived effortlessness has made him highly popular among tennis fans. Originally lacking self-control as a junior, he transformed his on-court demeanor to become well-liked for his general graciousness, winning the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times. He has also won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award a record five times. Outside of competing, he played an instrumental role in the creation of the Laver Cup team competition. He is also an active philanthropist. He established the Roger Federer Foundation, which targets impoverished children in southern Africa, and has raised funds in part through the Match for Africa exhibition series. He is routinely one of the top ten highest-paid athletes in any sport and ranked first among all athletes with $100 million in endorsement income in 2020.

An elite athlete, Federer is an all-court, all-around player known for his speed, fluid style of play, and exceptional shot making. Federer mainly plays from the baseline but is also comfortable at the net, being one of the best volleyers in the game. He has a powerful, accurate smash and very effectively performs rare elements of professional tennis, such as the backhand smash and skyhook, half-volley, jump smash (slam dunk) and an aggressive serve return known affectionately as SABR (Sneak Attack By Roger, a half-volley attack on an opponent's second serve). Federer is also known for his efficient, deceptively effortless movement around the court and excellent footwork, which enables him to run around shots directed to his backhand, usually considered his weaker wing, and instead hit a powerful and penetrating inside-out or inside-in forehand, one of his best shots. He also has great variety with his forehand, able to hit with topspin or pace (or both) in opening up the court and going into the forecourt for aggressive volleys. Federer is also noted for his cool demeanour and emotional control on the court. In contrast to his early career, most of his professional game has been characterised by lack of outbursts or emotional frustration at errors, which gives him an advantage over less controlled opponents.

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