Federer starts 53rd straight slam
MELBOURNE—Another season, another potential tennis record for Roger Federer.
But this one is a bit different. The celebrated Swiss star doesn’t actually need to win a match, he just needs to show up and play — at each of the year’s four Grand Slams.
If he does, Federer will tally 56 consecutive Grand Slam singles tournaments, which would equal the record held by retired South African player Wayne Ferreira.
So far, so good. Federer will mark his 53rd straight when the Australian Open starts Monday, making him not just one of the greatest players in tennis history but also one of the sport’s most enduring.
“I’m still here,” said a smiling Federer, looking relaxed and confident at a packed pre-tournament press conference Saturday. “Longevity has always been something that’s important to me,”
The 17-time Grand Slam winner has been winning major titles since 2003 — and said he was once a ball boy for Ferreira who retired in 2005.
“I’m excited that I’ve played so many in a row, and I hope I can keep the streak alive — and see where it stops. We’ll see how it goes.”
For the moment, more immediate records beckon.
At age 31, Federer is in pursuit of his 18th Grand Slam title. If he wins the title at Melbourne Park, it would make him the only man to win more than four Australian Open trophies in the Open era.
It would also allow Federer, the reigning Wimbledon champion, to join a club of only five men to have won two or more Grand Slam titles after turning 30. The others are Agassi, Jimmy Connors in the 80s, Ken Rosewell a decade earlier, and Rod Laver in 1969.
Until his Wimbledon win, Federer had been widely viewed as a champion in decline, eclipsed by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. (AP)