Federer rewrites the history books
Swiss legend continues to defy time — back on top
● If someone had told Roger Federer 13 months ago that reclaiming the world number one ranking would require three more grand slam titles and three Masters 1000s, even he might have declared it mission impossible.
Fast forward a year and a bit, however, and the 36-year-old is back at the summit — the oldest man to make it since the ATP rankings came into being in 1973.
One of the most stunning late-career runs witnessed in any sport has seen Federer put together a sustained spell of brilliance few believed was possible when he missed half of the 2016 season with knee and back problems.
On Friday, a 4-6 6-1 6-1 victory over Dutchman Robin Haase in the quarterfinals of the ABN Amro tournament in Rotterdam guaranteed that the Swiss would rise to number one for the fourth time in his career.
Fourteen years after he first achieved it, this one felt extra special, said the 20-times grand slam champion.
“Well it’s a deep sense of satisfaction,” Federer said after the match.
“A lot of work went into it, coming back from the injury, obviously. Just having had the year that I’ve had, winning three slams, that’s what it took to get the ranking.
“I think I’ve shown resilience. I have a great team around me and we took a lot of good decisions in the last three years. I always planned for longevity and I never gave up that I could get back to winning ways, without ever dreaming of world number again to be honest, that was too far.”
Federer took a wildcard for Rotterdam, knowing that a run to the semifinals would knock Rafa Nadal off the top and become the oldest player, man or woman, to be world number one.
“I think it was great that I had to play for it this week,” he said.
“I just didn’t just get it by Rafa losing somewhere or dropping points or me sitting on the sidelines like in 2012 when I was on holiday and got the ranking two weeks after Wimbledon.
“This way to play a match where you know that you are going to be world number one if you win it, in front of a crowd, is a great feeling.”
Incredibly Federer first became world number one in 2004, as a 22-year-old, when he beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in the semifinal of the Australian Open before going on to take the title. On that occasion he stayed there for 237 weeks.
“The goal (this time) was to be world number one for a week, that’s plenty for me,” he said. “If it’s more, great, I’ll take it. If I play well, good things will happen.
“It’s the ultimate achievement in our sport to get the number one ranking, it just doesn’t come easy.”
One of the greatest ever late-career runs by any sportsman or woman means he surpasses Andre Agassi, who was the previous oldest man to top the ATP rankings.
American Agassi was 33 when he scaled the summit in 2003.
He was one of the first to congratulate Federer.
“Roger Federer continues to raise the bar in our sport. Congratulations on yet another remarkable achievement!!” Agassi said on Twitter.
Federer also set another record with the more than five-year gap between his previous and most recent stints as world number one being the longest since ATP rankings began in 1973.
And now, having returned to the top of the rankings 14 years later, playing some of the best tennis of his career, he looks capable of another lengthy stretch on the throne.
He already holds the record of 302 weeks ranked number one.
On his Instagram account later, Federer said: “A night to remember forever. Thank you to all my fans who have been there for me since the beginning.” — Reuters
Roger Federer continues to raise the bar in our sport Andre Agassi Former World Number One