This universally admired athlete is inarguably the greatest tennis player of all time with 17 Grand slam titles, 81 career titles and a record 237 weeks of consecutive ATP number one status.
Jaws dropped and eyes protruded, the spectators watched the Swiss’s magical and sublime shots. They are enthralled by the way he plays that they can hardly bear to see him lose.
He was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record four consecutive years (2005–2008).
Childhood
Roger Federer was born on August 8, 1981 in Basel. He took an interest in sports at an early age, playing tennis and soccer. By age 11, he was among the top three junior tennis players in Switzerland.
Controlling his temper was a problem which remained with Federer throughout his childhood. He was often out of control on the court, and rarely went through a day without hurling his racket against the fence.
Career
 He joined the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior tennis circuit in July 1996. Federer won the Wimbledon boys’ singles and doubles titles in 1998, and turned professional later that year. At Wimbledon 2001, he caused a sensation by knocking out reigning singles champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round.
In 2003, following a successful season on grass, Federer became the first Swiss man to win a Grand Slam title when he became the Wimbledon singles champion.
He dominated the sport from 2004-2008 maintaining his number 1 ranking by successfully defending the Australian Open, the US Open, the ATP Masters and Wimbledon singles title.
The shine of his career started to fade out in 2009 as he lost out to the likes of Nadal and Djokovic in major tournaments.  In 2010, he failed to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since the 2004 French Open.
The 2012 season was a return to excellence for Federer. He had his most match wins since 2006 and his highest winning percentage and number of titles won since 2007. Federer won the 2012 Wimbledon final regaining the world number-one ranking in the process.
After a disappoint season in 2013 due to injuries, he came back strong in 2014 winning the Shanghai Masters.
Philanthropy
In 2003, he and his mother Lynette established the Roger Federer Foundation to help disadvantaged people and to promote sports. In 2005, he auctioned his racquet from his US Open championship to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina.
He was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF in 2006 and has also appeared in UNICEF public messages to raise public awareness of AIDS.
Achievements
Federer holds several men’s world records of the Open Era: holding the world no. 1 position for 302 weeks overall, including a 237-consecutive-week stretch at the top from 2004 to 2008.
He is the only man to reach at least the semifinals of 23 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, from the 2004 Wimbledon Championships through the 2010 Australian Open.