ROGER FEDERER
Name: Roger Federer
Born: 8 August 1981 Basel, Switzerland
Roger Federer (born August 8, 1981) is a Swiss
tennis professional, ranked World No. 1 since February 2, 2004, for a record 212
consecutive weeks. He is widely regarded as the best player of his generation
and among the elite group of all-time great male tennis players. In 2008, he
was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record fourth consecutive
time.
Federer has won twelve Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, five
Wimbledon, four US Open), four Tennis Masters Cup titles, and fourteen ATP
Masters Series titles.
He has appeared in a record ten consecutive Grand Slam men's singles finals (2005
Wimbledon Championships through to 2007 U.S. Open).
Roger Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Swiss-German Robert Federer
and South African Lynette Federer. He grew up in suburban Manchenstein, ten
minutes from Basel and close to the borders with France and Germany. As a boy,
Federer was very emotional and was kicked off practice courts occasionally.
Federer was also a talented football player[citation needed]. He had considered
becoming a professional footballer but instead decided to pursue tennis. He
continues to support FC Basel, his hometown club and is a fan of Italian club AS
Roma. When he was younger, he liked to watch Marcelo Ríos in action.
Federer especially liked Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker and has cited them as
idols.
Federer currently resides in Oberwil, Switzerland and is dating former WTA
player and Slovakia-born Miroslava Vavrinec (Mirka), who retired from tennis in
2002 after a foot injury. The two met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Federer
launched a fragrance called RF Cosmetics in October 2003. He considers Swiss
German his first language, but also speaks German, French, and English fluently
and conducts press conferences in all three. His favorite vacation spots are the
Maldives, Dubai, and the Swiss mountains. He is also a good friend of
golf superstar Tiger Woods. Federer is Roman Catholic, and met Pope Benedict XVI
while playing the Rome Masters in 2006.
Roger Federer is highly involved in various charities. He established the Roger
Federer Foundation in 2003 to help disadvantaged people and to promote sports to
young people. He was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF from 2006. Since
then, he has visited Tamil Nadu, one of the worst tsunami-affected areas in
India, and South Africa. He has also appeared in UNICEF public messages to raise
public awareness of AIDS.
Federer started playing tennis at the age of six. He began participating in
group lessons at the age of nine and began weekly private coaching when he was
ten. He also played football until the age of twelve when he decided to focus
solely on tennis. At fourteen, he became the national champion of all groups
in Switzerland and was chosen to train at the Swiss National Tennis Center in
Ecublens. He joined the ITF junior tennis circuit in July 1996. In 1998, his
final year as a junior, Federer won the junior Wimbledon title and the
prestigious year-ending Orange Bowl. He was recognized as the ITF World Junior
Tennis champion of the year. In July 1998, Federer joined the ATP tour at
Gstaad. The following year he debuted for the Swiss Davis Cup team against Italy
and finished the year as the youngest player (for the year) inside ATP's top 100
ranking. In 2000, Federer reached the semifinals at the Sydney Olympics and lost
the bronze medal match to Arnaud di Pasquale of France. Federer reached his
first final in Marseille which he lost to Marc Rosset and was also the runner-up
in Basel. He failed to make an impression at Grand Slams and Masters Series
tournaments, and ended the year ranked 29th.
Name: Roger Federer
Born: 8 August 1981 Basel, Switzerland
Roger Federer (born August 8, 1981) is a Swiss
tennis professional, ranked World No. 1 since February 2, 2004, for a record 212
consecutive weeks. He is widely regarded as the best player of his generation
and among the elite group of all-time great male tennis players. In 2008, he
was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record fourth consecutive
time.
Federer has won twelve Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, five
Wimbledon, four US Open), four Tennis Masters Cup titles, and fourteen ATP
Masters Series titles.
He has appeared in a record ten consecutive Grand Slam men's singles finals (2005
Wimbledon Championships through to 2007 U.S. Open).
Roger Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Swiss-German Robert Federer
and South African Lynette Federer. He grew up in suburban Manchenstein, ten
minutes from Basel and close to the borders with France and Germany. As a boy,
Federer was very emotional and was kicked off practice courts occasionally.
Federer was also a talented football player[citation needed]. He had considered
becoming a professional footballer but instead decided to pursue tennis. He
continues to support FC Basel, his hometown club and is a fan of Italian club AS
Roma. When he was younger, he liked to watch Marcelo Ríos in action.
Federer especially liked Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker and has cited them as
idols.
Federer currently resides in Oberwil, Switzerland and is dating former WTA
player and Slovakia-born Miroslava Vavrinec (Mirka), who retired from tennis in
2002 after a foot injury. The two met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Federer
launched a fragrance called RF Cosmetics in October 2003. He considers Swiss
German his first language, but also speaks German, French, and English fluently
and conducts press conferences in all three. His favorite vacation spots are the
Maldives, Dubai, and the Swiss mountains. He is also a good friend of
golf superstar Tiger Woods. Federer is Roman Catholic, and met Pope Benedict XVI
while playing the Rome Masters in 2006.
Roger Federer is highly involved in various charities. He established the Roger
Federer Foundation in 2003 to help disadvantaged people and to promote sports to
young people. He was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF from 2006. Since
then, he has visited Tamil Nadu, one of the worst tsunami-affected areas in
India, and South Africa. He has also appeared in UNICEF public messages to raise
public awareness of AIDS.
Federer started playing tennis at the age of six. He began participating in
group lessons at the age of nine and began weekly private coaching when he was
ten. He also played football until the age of twelve when he decided to focus
solely on tennis. At fourteen, he became the national champion of all groups
in Switzerland and was chosen to train at the Swiss National Tennis Center in
Ecublens. He joined the ITF junior tennis circuit in July 1996. In 1998, his
final year as a junior, Federer won the junior Wimbledon title and the
prestigious year-ending Orange Bowl. He was recognized as the ITF World Junior
Tennis champion of the year. In July 1998, Federer joined the ATP tour at
Gstaad. The following year he debuted for the Swiss Davis Cup team against Italy
and finished the year as the youngest player (for the year) inside ATP's top 100
ranking. In 2000, Federer reached the semifinals at the Sydney Olympics and lost
the bronze medal match to Arnaud di Pasquale of France. Federer reached his
first final in Marseille which he lost to Marc Rosset and was also the runner-up
in Basel. He failed to make an impression at Grand Slams and Masters Series
tournaments, and ended the year ranked 29th.