Roger Federer's 5 worst Grand Slam defeats

Roger Federer crashed and burned at the 2018 US Open after a rather dismal showing against unheralded Australian John Millman. Federer looked out of sorts right from the outset and could never find any rhythm, something which Millman took full advantage of.

The four-set loss represented Federer's first defeat at the US Open to a player ranked outside the top 50.

Federer is unarguably the greatest player to have ever held a tennis racquet, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he is a mere mortal after all. Despite a career littered with Grand Slam titles - 20 to be precise - he has been on the receiving end of quite a losses which have been hard to digest.

On that note, here are 5 of Federer's worst ever defeats at Grand Slams:

#5 John Millman (3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (6-3)): 2018 US Open

Federer entered his R16 encounter with Millman in top form, having rather comfortably extinguished the challenge of mercurial Australian, Nick Kyrgios. With one eye on a possible quarterfinal clash against Novak Djokovic, who had beaten him just a week earlier in Cincinnati, the Swiss was keen on wrapping things up against Millman in quick time and heading off to the showers.

However, in rather sweltering conditions and intense humidity, Federer stumbled when he was least expected to. Having claimed the first set 6-3, it seemed like business as usual for the 37-year-old. Staving off a resurgent challenge from the 29-year-old Australian in the second game of the second set - which consisted of 24 points - Federer soon broke and was serving for the set at 5-3, 40-15.

That's when the wheels started to fall off the Fed Express. After netting a routine volley, the Swiss allowed Millman back into the match, and the Aussie eventually went on to take the set, winning four games on the bounce.

The Swiss could not buy a first serve for most of the match and his ever-reliable forehand let him down far too often. 2 hrs later - and two tiebreaks on - he bid adieu to the fans at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, much to their dismay.

Federer ended the match with a whopping 76 errors and 10 double faults, only the fourth time he hit double-digit double faults in Grand Slam competition.

#4 Kevin Anderson (2-6, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-4, 13-11): 2018 Wimbledon

Day Nine: The Championships - Wimbledon 2018

Federer entered the 2018 Wimbledon Championships as one of the favourites, considering Novak Djokovic's patchy form and Andy Murray's absence due to injury. The Swiss looked the part in his opening four matches, strolling through to the quarterfinals without dropping a set.

He began the QF in perfect fashion as well, racing to a two sets to love lead against an opponent he had not lost to even once in four past meetings. However, buoyed by a monstrous serve, the South African began to claw his way back into the match. With his sledgehammer of a forehand finding the lines consistently, Anderson saved a match point in the third set at 4-5 before breaking Federer and taking the set 7-5.

His form carried into the fourth set as well as he overpowered the Swiss with devastating baseline play, one break of serve again enough to earn him the set. With Federer reeling under the power of the Anderson game, it was only going to be a matter of time before the Swiss cracked.

Sure enough, Anderson managed to attain the decisive break in the final set at 11 all before serving it out for the biggest victory of his career. It was only the third time Federer had let slip a two-set lead in a Grand Slam.

#3 Novak Djokovic (6-7 (9), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5): 2011 US Open

2011 US Open - Day 13

The defeat that stung the most. Federer, seeded 3, had the top seed Novak Djokovic on the ropes as he raced out of the blocks, taking a two-set lead. The Serb though, as was his wont, struck back to level proceedings before running out of steam in the final set.

The Swiss cruised to a 5-3 lead and served for the match, bringing up two match points at 40-15. Djokovic though produced arguably the best return of serve in tennis history, slapping a forehand crosscourt for a clean winner. A visibly rattled Federer choked away another match point before double-faulting on break point to hand Djokovic a lifeline. The Serb did not lose another game as he held, broke and then held again to claim a 6-7 (9), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory.

Federer was clearly taken aback by the result and seemed to take a dig at Djokovic following the conclusion of the match, stating, “I mean, please. Some players grow up and play like that — being down 5-2 in the third, and they all just start slapping shots. I never played that way. I believe hard work’s going to pay off, because early on maybe I didn’t always work at my hardest. For me, this is very hard to understand. How can you play a shot like that on match point? Maybe he’s been doing it for 20 years, so for him, it was very normal. You’ve got to ask him.”

Not Federer's greatest moment by any means.

#2 Sergiy Stakhovsky (6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 7-6 (7-5)): 2013 Wimbledon

The Championships - Wimbledon 2013: Day Three

Probably one of the biggest upsets of Roger Federer's career occurred in his favourite arena: Wimbledon's Centre Court in 2013. A whopping 113 places separated the two competitors, with Federer entering the tournament as the defending champion and World No. 3, and Stakhovski ranked No. 116.

However, the Ukrainian proved there was not much of a gulf in class, despite losing the opening set in a tight tie-breaker. He fought back to take the next 2 sets, 7-6, 7-5 and completed the monumental upset by claiming the fourth set tie-breaker as well, falling to the floor delirious in joy.

Stakhovsky's victory ended Federer's streak of 36 consecutive Major quarterfinals and represented his earliest loss at a Grand Slam since the 2013 French Open, where he had lost to Luis Horna.

The Ukrainian though would bow out soon after, succumbing to Jurgen Melzer in the next round.

#1 Rafael Nadal (6-1 6-3 6-0): 2008 French Open

French Open - Roland Garros 2008 Day Fifteen

It is not often Federer fails to win six games in a set, let alone a match, but that was the manner of the hiding he received at the hands of his nemesis Rafa Nadal in the 2008 French Open as the Spaniard pummelled the Swiss into submission, sailing to a 6-1 6-3 6-0 win. It was Federer's third consecutive loss at the final of the French Open and by far his worst.

Nadal's groundstrokes strangled Federer like a Boa Constrictor, suffocating him slowly but surely. At one stage, he even reeled off 22 of 25 points, knocking the stuffing out of the Swiss.

So one-sided was the encounter, it forced a rather sheepish Nadal to almost apologise after the match. "Roger, I'm sorry for the final," Nadal conceded.

It was the first time Federer had been served a bagel at a Grand Slam since 1999 against Pat Rafter. The 2008 final was also the shortest in terms of length, since 1980 when Bjorn Borg had annihilated Vitas Gerulaitis.