He is considered by many sports analysts, current and former players and tennis critics as the greatest player to have played with the racquet. His recent Australian Open win against British Andy Murray made sure he now has 16 ‘Grand Slam’ single titles—more than any other male player.
However, Federer, aged 28, who has won a ‘Career Grand Slam’—winning the four Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in your career—is yet to join Don Budge and Rod Laver as the only men who has won the Grand Slam. The Grand Slam means winning all four Slam tournaments in the same year.
Winning his first Grand Slam singles title against Australian Mark Philippoussis at Wimbledon in 2003, Roger Federer has come close in achieving the Grand Slam three times. These near misses started in 2004. He defeated Russian Marat Safin in the first Slam tournament of the year (the Australian Open). He went on to beat rival Andy Roddick at Wimbledon but lost Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil in the 3rd round at the French Open to shatter the dream though he won the last Slam tournament of the year, the US Open against Lleyton Hewitt.
A defeat of Marcos Baghdatis in four sets meant he won the Australian Open in 2006. The Swiss genius went on to beat his nemesis Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in what will start as fierce rivalry down the years. Spanish Nadal revenged his earlier loss at Wimbledon to Roger at the French Open by winning in four sets. That derailed the Grand Slam train for Federer again. He repeated as the champion again of the US Open by defeating Andy Roddick in the final.
Federer’s last shot at Grand Slam glory was in the 2007 season. He won in straight sets against Chilean Fernando Gonzalez at the Australian Open. He repeated the dose against Nadal again in 2007 Wimbledon final. In a duel that travelled five sets, Federer defeated Nadal: 7–6(7), 4–6, 7–6(3), 2–6, 6–2. On his favourite clay court in Paris, Rafael Nadal got revenge again against Federer in the French Open final. His win against Serbian Novak Djokovic in the US Open didn’t guarantee the Grand Slam success Federer had so much craved for.
The French Open which has been Roger Federer’s bane in his illustrious career was finally won by the 2008 Olympic gold medalist in 2009 against unfancied Swedish Robin Soderling. Federer defeated him in straight sets to achieve the coveted Career Grand Slam feat. Yet the world number one is yet to achieve what Australian Rod Laver last did in 1969—the Grand Slam.
Could this be the year for him to break this 41-year old record and further consolidate his tennis immortality image? It could, but it will be tough! With three more slam tournaments to come up before he achieves that feat, Federer’s impressive win at the Australian Open sets the record in his sights. With his main rival Rafael Nadal struggling with some knee injuries since last year’ s French Open, the path looks clearer now. The other man who has also beaten Federer in Slam final, Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro has a wrist injury.
Having won the next Slam tournament—Wimbledon—six times in the last seven years, and the Us Open at Flushing Meadows in New York five times in the past six years, the French Open will be –as it has always been—Federer’s main bottleneck. However, by breaking the French Open jinx last year and clay court king Nadal’s nagging injuries, this to a large extent certainly looks like the year for Roger Federer to achieve every tennis players dream—winning the Grand Slam.
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