Roger Federer
The Ball Boy Who Became a Giant
Born on 8 August 1981 in Basel, Switzerland, Roger Federer won twenty Grand Slam singles titles, including a record eight Wimbledon men's titles, and held the world number one ranking for 310 weeks, 237 of them in a row, before retiring at the 2022 Laver Cup alongside his great rival Rafael Nadal.
- 19 min listen
- 20 Grand Slam titles
- Eight-time Wimbledon champion
- Hall of Famer
Roger Federer’s full 19 min audio biography, The Ball Boy Who Became a Giant, is available on Lyfestori for iOS. Listen to a free preview below.
A life in brief
Roger Federer: life and timeline.
As a ball boy at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Roger Federer watched the professionals warm up and thought of them as giants. As a junior he threw racquets, swore at himself and sometimes cried. Then Peter Carter, the Australian coach who had shaped his game, was killed in a car crash in South Africa in August 2002. Federer, devastated, stopped wasting his talent. Eleven months later he won Wimbledon. He went on to win twenty majors and spend 310 weeks at number one.
- 1981
Born in Basel
Born on 8 August to Robert, a Swiss pharmaceutical employee, and Lynette, a South African he met through work in South Africa. He grows up speaking Swiss German and later works as a ball boy at the Swiss Indoors.
- 1995
Leaving home
At fourteen he moves to the Swiss national tennis centre in Ecublens, in the French-speaking part of the country, and is often homesick. There he works with the Australian coach Peter Carter.
- 1998
Junior Wimbledon
At sixteen he wins the Wimbledon boys' singles and doubles titles and turns professional the same year.
- 2001
Beating Sampras
On 2 July, at nineteen, he beats seven-time champion Pete Sampras in five sets in the Wimbledon fourth round — their only official meeting.
- 2002
Peter Carter dies
On 1 August Carter is killed in a car accident while on holiday in South Africa, aged thirty-seven. Federer, in Toronto, is shattered by the news.
- 2003
First Wimbledon title
At twenty-one he wins Wimbledon, his first Grand Slam title, and breaks down in tears on Centre Court.
- 2004
World number one
In February he becomes world number one and stays there for 237 consecutive weeks, a record. Between 2003 and 2007 he wins eleven of sixteen majors.
- 2008
The Nadal final
He loses a five-set Wimbledon final to Rafael Nadal that ends in near darkness after four hours and forty-eight minutes. Weeks later he wins Olympic doubles gold with Stan Wawrinka in Beijing.
- 2009
Paris and number fifteen
He marries Mirka Vavrinec in April, wins the French Open to complete the career Grand Slam, and then wins a fifteenth major at Wimbledon. Twin daughters are born in July.
- 2017
The Melbourne comeback
Back from six months out after knee surgery, he beats Nadal from 1–3 down in the fifth set of the Australian Open final, then wins an eighth Wimbledon. The Laver Cup, which he helped create, debuts in September.
- 2022
Farewell in London
He announces his retirement on 15 September. On 23 September he plays his last match, in doubles with Nadal at the Laver Cup, and the two men cry holding hands on the bench.
- 2026
Hall of Fame
On 29 August he is inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, introduced by his wife Mirka.
Major achievements
Roger Federer: major achievements.
- 01
Twenty majors
He was the first man to win twenty Grand Slam singles titles: eight Wimbledons, six Australian Opens, five US Opens and one French Open.
- 02
237 weeks in a row
From February 2004 he held the number one ranking for 237 consecutive weeks, a record, and 310 weeks in all.
- 03
103 titles
He won 103 ATP singles titles over a professional career of twenty-four years and more than 1,500 matches.
- 04
The Laver Cup
He was central to creating the annual Team Europe versus Team World competition named after Rod Laver, first played in 2017.
- 05
The Roger Federer Foundation
Set up in 2003, it funds early education projects in southern Africa and Switzerland, reflecting his mother's South African roots.
- 06
Olympic and Davis Cup gold
He won Olympic doubles gold in 2008 and helped Switzerland win its first Davis Cup in 2014.
Turning points
Roger Federer: defining moments.
- Junior years
The temper
Young Federer was gifted and difficult: racquets thrown, swearing and tears when things went wrong. The calm that later defined him had to be learned. He has described learning to manage his frustration rather than let it take over.
- August 2002
Losing Peter Carter
Carter had refined his technique and influenced how he carried himself. His death in South Africa, a country Federer had encouraged him to visit, hit the twenty-one-year-old hard. Federer later said Carter wouldn't have wanted him to be a wasted talent, and the tantrums stopped.
- 2009
God, it's killing me
After losing the Wimbledon final to Nadal and then the 2009 Australian Open final, Federer broke down at the trophy ceremony while Nadal consoled him. Months later he won the French Open and broke Sampras's record of fourteen majors.
- 2016–2017
Stepping away to come back
He injured his knee in early 2016, had surgery and ended his season after Wimbledon. Seeded seventeenth at thirty-five, he returned to win the 2017 Australian Open, his first major in nearly five years.
God, it's killing me.
Roger Federer, at the Australian Open trophy ceremony after losing to Rafael Nadal, 2009
What you’ll take away
Lessons from Roger Federer’s life.
- 01
Composure is learned
The calmest champion in tennis started out throwing racquets. Grace was a habit he built, not a temperament he was born with.
- 02
Rivals can make you better
Nadal beat him in some of the biggest matches of his life. The rivalry pushed both men and ended in friendship.
- 03
Rest is a strategy
Taking six months off at thirty-four looked like the end. It gave him three more majors.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Roger Federer.
Does Roger Federer have a middle name?
No. His full name is simply Roger Federer. He holds both Swiss and South African citizenship through his parents.
What is Roger Federer's net worth?
About $950 million, according to Forbes (August 2026), down from the $1.1 billion that made him a billionaire in August 2025, after shares in the Swiss running-shoe brand On fell sharply. His fortune rests largely on his estimated 2.5–3% stake in On, which he joined as an investor in 2019, plus decades of endorsement income and prize money.
How did Roger Federer make his money?
Mostly off the court. Forbes estimated in 2022 that he earned about $1.1 billion before taxes during his playing career, of which roughly $130 million was prize money; the rest came from long-running endorsements with brands such as Rolex, Uniqlo, Mercedes-Benz and Lindt. His most valuable single asset is his minority stake in the shoe and apparel brand On, acquired in 2019.
Where was Roger Federer born?
In Basel, Switzerland, on 8 August 1981. His father, Robert, is Swiss and his mother, Lynette, is South African.
Who was Roger Federer's coach?
Peter Carter was the formative coach of his youth. As a professional he later worked with Peter Lundgren, Tony Roche, Paul Annacone, Stefan Edberg, Severin Lüthi and Ivan Ljubičić.
Did Roger Federer win the French Open?
Yes, once, in 2009. Beating Robin Söderling in the final completed his career Grand Slam after four losses at Roland Garros, three of them in finals against Rafael Nadal.
When did Roger Federer retire?
In September 2022, at forty-one. He announced it on 15 September and played his last match, in doubles with Rafael Nadal, at the Laver Cup in London on 23 September.
Why did Roger Federer retire?
Because of his right knee. A series of operations from 2020 onwards meant he could no longer compete at the top level, so he chose a doubles farewell instead of a final singles run.
Who is Roger Federer's wife?
Mirka Federer, born Miroslava Vavrinec, a former professional player he met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They married in 2009 and have two sets of twins: daughters born in 2009 and sons born in 2014.
Is Roger Federer in the Tennis Hall of Fame?
Yes. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, on 29 August 2026.
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19 min · one sitting