5 lesser-known Roger Federer records

Roger Federer is one of the most recognisable names in men's tennis. During a stellar 22-year professional career, Federer has achieved a huge number of milestones.

The man with a silken one-handed backhand - a rarity in the modern game - has the most Grand Slam titles (20) and Grand Slam match wins (362) ever. Federer is also the oldest player to lift a Masters 1000 title, a feat he achieved by beating defending champion John Isner in the 2019 Miami final.

Later in the season, Federer narrowly missed out on becoming the oldest player in the Open Era to lift a Grand Slam title. The then 37-year-old failed to convert two consecutive championship points on serve at 8-7 40-15 in the fifth set of an epic Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic.

You may also like: 8 tournaments where Federer has had the most missed opportunities

Federer is the first player to win 10 titles at a tournament on two different surfaces - at Halle (grass) and Basel (grass). One of only five players in the Open Era to have won the career Grand Slam, Federer is the only one to win 70 matches at all 4 Grand Slam tournaments.

On that note, let us now have a look at five lesser-known Federer records in the sport:

#1 Most comebacks from 2 sets down

Federer

With a 32-23 career five-set record, only Pete Sampras (33), Ivan Lendl (36), and Ilie Nastase (39) have triumphed more times than Federer when a match has gone the distance.

Most recently, Federer eked out five-set wins over John Millman and Tennys Sandgren at the 2020 Australian Open to end a three match fifth-set losing streak (2018 Wimbledon, 2019 Wimbledon, 2019 US Open).

You may also like: 3 active players with the best 5th set record.

In the all-time list, Federer's record of 58.1% can at best be regarded as modest; the Swiss finds himself in a rather lowly 106th spot.

Thus, it may come as a surprise that Federer holds the record for most comebacks from 2 sets down, doing so on no fewer than 10 occasions.

Federer is one of 10 players in Grand Slam history to have recovered a two-set deficit at all 4 Grand Slam tournaments, most recently doing so in the 2016 Wimbledon quarterfinals against Marin Cilic.

You may also like: 6 Federer records that may stand the test of time

#2 Only player to win matches in 4 different decades

Federer (left)

By beating American Steve Johnson in the opening round of the 2020 Australian Open, Federer became the first player to win matches in four different decades.

Federer, who made his tour debut in 1998, won 15 matches in the 90s, 663 matches in the 2000s, 558 matches in the 2010s and five matches in the 2020s decade following the conclusion of the 2020 Australian Open.

You may also like: 3 milestones Federer achieved at the 2020 Australian Open

#3 First player in Open Era to lose finals at all 4 Slams

Roger Federer

While it's a well-known fact that Federer is one of five players in the Open Era to have won all four Grand Slams, it is perhaps a lesser-known fact that the Swiss maestro is the first player to come up short in the finals of all the four Majors.

Federer lost his first Slam final at 2006 Roland Garros to Rafael Nadal. The same man was also responsible for Federer's first defeats in the finals at Wimbledon (2008) and Australian Open (2009), before Juan Martin del Potro completed Federer's 'quadruple' with a five-set victory in the 2009 US Open final.

Andy Murray (2010 Australian Open, 2016 Roland Garros, 2012 Wimbledon, 2008 US Open) is the only other player to have lost finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments. Novak Djokovic came within a set of joining the duo when the Serb fell behind 2 sets to 1 against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 Australian Open, but he recovered to win a record-extending 8th title at the tournament.

You may also like: 3 milestones awaiting Federer in 2020

#4 Only player to reach a final in 20 consecutive seasons

Federer wins his 100th career single's title at 2019 Dubai

Federer beat Borna Coric in straight sets in the 2019 Dubai semifinals to reach his first final of the season. In the process, Federer broke a tie with Jimmy Connors (1971 to 1989) by reaching an ATP final in 20 consecutive seasons.

By beating his Australian Open conqueror Stefanos Tsitsipas in the title match, Federer emulated Connors as the only men to win 100 singles titles. He also drew level with Andre Agassi (18) for the most number of title-winning seasons.

You may also like: 10 highlights of Federer's 2019 season

#5 Most defeats in tournament finals

Federer sits glum-faced after the 2019 Wimbledon final

Federer lost for a record-extending 54th time in a tournament final with the defeat to Novak Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon title match.

Federer served up consecutive aces to arrive at two championship points at 8-7 40-15 late in the fifth set. But then, incredibly, he blinked, as Djokovic fought back to win in a historic first-ever Wimbledon fifth-set tiebreak. That made the Serb the first Wimbledon champion in 71 years to have saved multiple championship points .

Ivan Lendl (52) is the first player in the Open Era to have lost 50 or more tournament finals. Federer went past Lendl's mark when he lost to Dominic Thiem in the 2019 Indian Wells final.

You may also like: Federer's 10 most painful Grand Slam defeats