Roger Federer has now won more Wimbledon singles titles than any man in history, as you’ve probably heard. The Swiss legend achieved the feat by defeating Marin Cilic in the 2017 Wimbledon final two days ago, to go past Pete Sampras and William Renshaw – who both won seven titles at the All-England Club.
Here’s a look back at each of Federer’s Wimbledon triumphs, which were spread over 14 years.
Wimbledon 2003: Def. Mark Philippoussis in the final
It’s always nice to rewind to the initial years when the Swiss ace had just opened the books of history to write his own. At 21 years of age, the then 5th seed produced a masterclass against the unseeded Mark Philippoussis of Australia.
Overcoming Andy Roddick in the semis and coming into the final riding a wave of confidence, Federer was beginning to show hints of greatness as he demolished his opponent 7-6(7/5),6-2,7-6(7/3). Little did we know then that this was the start of an unchallenged five-year reign.
Wimbledon 2004: Def. Andy Roddick in the final
With that ponytail hairstyle still in tow, Federer outsmarted his arch-rival of that time, a bearded Andy Roddick, in four entertaining sets. Federer was in trouble early on though, and he was rescued in part by a rain delay right after Roddick took the first set.
Although the match remained tight till the end, Federer earned the 4-6,7-5,7-6(3),6-4 win by changing his tactics at the right time. Just a boy of 22 back then and a three-time Slam champion already, the Swiss ace was beginning to unfurl his wings.
Wimbledon 2005: Def. Andy Roddick in the final
With a change of hairstyle and a rapid escalation in style and finesse of play, the auburn locks of Roger Federer were destined for another crown on the hallowed turf. Galloping to a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles by defeating old nemesis Roddick once again, the King ably defended his kingdom.
Unlike the previous year’s final though, this was a much more one-sided affair as the Swiss romped to a 6-2,7-6(7-2),6-4 win.
Wimbledon 2006: Def. Rafael Nadal in the final
This was the year when the Swiss ace first met his greatest rival, the 20-year-old Spaniard Rafael Nadal, in a Grand Slam final. Nadal had won their first final, at the 2006 French Open, and was looking to become the first man since Bjorn Borg to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.
The left-handed Nadal was a tough opponent for the Swiss right from the start, as he manufactured wicket angles with his topspin forehand and ran down nearly every one of Federer’s groundstrokes. But Federer responded with style, handing the Spaniard a bagel in the first set before sealing the match in four sets.
The 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 scoreline probably made the match look tougher than it was.
Wimbledon 2007: Def. Rafael Nadal in the final
By 2007, it was taken for granted that Federer would win the Championships easily, and so the news of him winning a 5th title on the trot, however remarkable the feat was, was not looked at with much surprise. But all those who watched the match knew that the victory was far from easy.
The Swiss Maestro had to dig deep as Nadal breathed down his neck all match. The first four sets followed a see-saw pattern, but when Nadal had a bunch of break points at the start of the fifth, it looked like Federer’s invincible grasscourt run was about to end.
Federer prevailed in the end, winning 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-2, but this match was a precursor to his defeat in the Greatest Match Of All Time, the 2008 Wimbledon final.
Wimbledon 2009: Def. Andy Roddick in the final
Facing his old rival Andy Roddick once again, Federer came back from a one year drought of winning Wimbledon title to claim his 6th one at the All England Club.
In another epic clash, he outlasted the American 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14, which turned out to be the longest ever Wimbledon final in terms of games played. The numbers were big and they were formidable. Federer rained down 50 aces, his personal best, but Roddick was perhaps the better server – he was broken just once all day, and that too in the very last game of the match.
The five-setter was nail biting from start to finish, but the King regained his crown and clinched his 15th Major trophy. In the process, he also became the most successful male player in the history of tennis, eclipsing Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam titles.
Wimbledon 2012: Def. Andy Murray in the final
Federer is known as the Comeback Man today, but that wasn’t the case five years ago. So when he returned to his favourite court and tournament after a two-year Slam drought to win back what he truly deserved – a 7th Wimbledon crown – it came as a bit of a surprise.
Facing the Briton Andy Murray, Federer rallied to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 for his record-extending 17th Slam title. The Centre Court crowd were treated to a remarkable display of beautiful tennis, even if they found it hard to stomach local boy Murray’s tears at the end.
Records and history were panting in their bid to keep pace with the 30-year-old 7-time Wimbledon champion.
Wimbledon 2017: Def. Marin Cilic in the final
Watching the 35-year-old Federer pummel his opponent and seal his 8th Wimbledon title with an ace, is the stuff dreams are made of. Just when everybody had started to write off the Swiss, he came back, like a phoenix which rises from the ashes, and won two of the first three Slams played in 2017.
An easier victory couldn’t possibly have been scripted, as the Swiss made quick work of the injured Croat, winning 6-3, 6-1, 6-4. This was the first time that Federer had won Wimbledon without dropping a set all tournament, and people all over the world struggled to find adjectives that could adequately describe his greatness.
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