Tennis: Federer A Match Winner in Four Different Decades

Roger Federer is a proven winner. In the discourse of who the greatest of all time is in tennis, his name should always come up. Record after record, the Swiss legend has done it all. He was the first to break Pete Sampras’ seemingly untouchable record of 14 Grand Slam titles.

He surpassed that with his current 20 tennis majors in his trophy cabinet. With all the mileage he’s put up on the court, the 38-year-old is still in a condition to come up with epic matches – as validated with a classic five-set thriller against Novak Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon Final.

With all of the accolades he’s achieved in his career, one thing that keeps him in the conversation is his longevity.

In the opening round of the 2020 Australian Open, he made quick work of his matchup. He defeated American Steve Johnson in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Since he was unable to join the earlier ATP Cup, this win puts the world number 3 seed as a match-winner in four different decades.

Federer made his debut in the ATP tour in 1998 as a young 16-year-old and was able to qualify in his first Grand Slam in 1999. The early 2000s were historic for Federer as he claimed his first major in the 2003 Wimbledon.

By Wimbledon of 2009, he was already able to jump ahead of Sampras when he claimed his 15th major title. He’s been on top of the list for a decade now and he’s looking to add more to his resume.

He continues to work on his game and plans to take things one point at a time. “At the end of the day, old-school work ethic, there is nothing wrong with that,” he said after his match against Johnson.

Despite all of his success, Federer understands that there will always be room to improve. “And learning from your mistakes is key, as we remember our losses more than our wins. It’s just important that when you do lose, you know, you really make the most of it, because it’s actually an opportunity.”