Roger Federer completes 15 years in ATP Rankings

Roger Federer completes 15 years in ATP World Tour Rankings as of today (22nd September 1997 to 24th September 2012). Federer got his very first ranking points on 22nd September 1997 and ranked at  803 when he was a 16 year old boy.

He 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 was recognized as the ITF World Junior Tennis champion of the year. As well as winning the under 18's category at the prestigious Orange Bowl.

Some of memorable moments:

• In July 1998, Federer joined the ATP tour at Gstaad.
• In April 1999, he debuted for the Swiss Davis Cup team against Italy and finished the year ranked World No. 66. During that time, he was the youngest player in the top 100.
• Reached semi-finals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
• First ATP tournament victory came in February 2001 where he defeated French player Julien Boutter in the final of the Milan Indoor.
• Reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, as the No. 15th seed, defeating four-time defending champion and seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras 7–6(7), 5–7, 6–4, 6–7(2), 7–5 in the fourth round in an epic five-set match. This defeat ended Sampras' 31-match winning streak in the tournament.
• Won the first ATP Masters 1000 in Hamburg 2002.
• In 2002 he qualified for the first time in the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals.
• Won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon 2003.
• Won his first  ATP World Tour Finals in 2003.
• Won his first Australian Open in 2004.
• Became World No. 1 on 2nd February 2004.
• Won his first US Open, defeating Lleyton Hewitt 6–0, 7–6(3), 6–0 in the 2004 final.
• Won 12 titles in 2006, which included 3 Grand Slam titles and 4 ATP Masters titles with 92 - 5 match wins/loss.
• 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles (2003 to 2007).
• 5 consecutive US Open (2004 - 2008).
• Won Olympic Gold Medal in doubles in Beijing 2008.
• Won his first French Open in 2009 (Equals Pete Sampras' 14 Grand Slams).
• Won his fisrt Grand Slam as a father in 2010 Australian Open.
• 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinal (2010 Australian Open).
• Won his 5th title at Basel, Switzerland in 2011.
• Won a record 6th ATP World Tour Finals title in 2011.
• Won a record 7th Wimbledon title with 17 Grand Slams in total.
• Won Olympic Silver Medal in Singles in London 2012.
• 76 Career Singles titles.

Holding the number 1 position for 297 weeks overall (as of today) ; 237-consecutive-week stretch at the top from 2004 to 2008; winning 17 Grand Slam singles titles; reaching the finals of each Grand Slam tournament at least five times (an all-time record); and reaching the Wimbledon final eight times. He is one of seven men, and one of four in the Open Era, to capture the career Grand Slam, and one of three (with Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal) to do so separately on clay, grass, and hard courts. Federer also shares the Open Era record for most Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open with Agassi (4 titles), at Wimbledon with Pete Sampras (7 titles) and at the US Open with Jimmy Connors and Sampras (5 titles). Federer's ATP tournament records include winning six ATP World Tour Finals, winning 21 ATP Masters 1000 titles (a record shared with Rafael Nadal), playing in the finals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, and, matching Agassi, winning seven.

Federer has won the ATPWorldTour.com Fans' Favorite Award a record nine times straight (2003–2011) and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (voted for by the players) a record seven times (2004–2009, 2011). In 2011, in a South African poll, he was voted the second most trusted and respected person in the world, next to Nelson Mandela. He was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record four consecutive years (2005–2008).

Several sports analysts, tennis critics and former and current players consider him to be the greatest tennis player of all time.

Date: 24th September 2012