Wimbledon 2017: 5 records that Roger Federer has bettered with Title No. 8

Roger Federer won a record-breaking 8^th Wimbledon title and a record-betering 19^th Grand Slam title by defeating Marin Cilic in the final in straight sets. Federer’s victory brought him two places up to 3^rd in the ATP rankings behind Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.

Through his win, Federer has bettered quite a few records that were in the name of himself as well as his peers. So, let’s take a look at some of the records that Federer has bettered in this year’s Wimbledon Championships.

#6. The fourth highest number of Grand Slam titles by any player, male or female in the Open Era

In addition to bettering his own record for the most number of Grand Slam titles by a male player, Federer can also become fourth in the list of the most number of Grand Slam titles by any player in the Open Era

Federer bettered Pete Sampras’ record for the most number of Grand Slam titles by winning the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. The Swiss then won three more Grand Slam titles at the 2010 Australian Open, the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2017 Australian Open to take his tally to 18 Grand Slam titles thus tying with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

In winning yesterday’s final, Federer won his 19^th Grand Slam, which now puts him in fourth place amongst the most number of Grand Slam titles in the Open Era (on including pre-Open Era, Federer will be joint-fourth on the list since Helen Willis has won 19 Grand Slam titles) behind Margaret Court, Serena Williams, and Steffi Graf.

#5. The second most years winning multiple Grand Slams by any player in the Open Era

Roger Federer has won multiple Grand Slams in six years, one less than Serena Williams

From 2004 to 2007, Federer won at least two Grand Slams a year. After winning only one major in 2008, Federer once again won two Grand Slams in 2009. He never went on to win multiple majors in any of the following years – until yesterday.

Federer’s Wimbledon triumph was his second Grand Slam of the year, having won the Australian Open previously. This makes 2017 the 6^th year in which Federer has won multiple Grand Slam titles which puts him above Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, and Chris Evert who have won multiple Grand Slam titles in five years.

The six years Federer has won multiple Majors: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2017

The only player in the Open Era who has won multiple Grand Slam titles in more years than the Swiss is Serena Williams who has won more than one Slam title in seven years: 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015.

#4. The second most Wimbledon finals in the Open Era

Only Martina Navratilova has reached more Wimbledon finals than Roger Federer

In defeating Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals, Federer reached his 11^th Wimbledon final, thus bettering his own record for the most number of Wimbledon finals by a male player in the Open Era.

Federer’s 11 Wimbledon finals place him second in the list of the most number of Wimbledon finals in the Open Era by any player, male or female, thus bettering Chris Evert’s 10 Wimbledon finals, the last of which came in 1985 when she was beaten by rival Martina Navratilova in three sets.

The record for the most number of Wimbledon finals by any player in the Open Era is held by Czech maestro Martina Navratilova, who reached a total of 12 finals during her career, winning 9 and losing 3.

Martina’s last Wimbledon final came in 1994 at the age of 37 when she was beaten by then 22-year old Conchita Martinez, who is now the coach of the recent Women’s Singles champion at Wimbledon, Garbiñe Muguruza.

#3. The second-oldest Wimbledon finalist in the Open Era

Federer is the second oldest Wimbledon finalist in the Open Era

At 35 years and 340 days, Federer became the second-oldest male player in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon final, bettering the late Arthur Ashe’s record of 31 years and 360 days during the 1975 Wimbledon championships when the American became the first and till date, only black male player to have won the Wimbledon title, defeating Jimmy Connors in the final.

The oldest Wimbledon finalist in the Open Era is the legendary Kenneth Rosewall who reached his last of four Wimbledon finals in 1974 at the age of 39 years and 246 days where he was eventually defeated by the younger Jimmy Connors in straight sets.

#2. The most number of Wimbledon titles by a male player

Federer now has more Wimbledon titles than any other male player

With his 2012 Wimbledon title win, Federer equaled Pete Sampras’ record of 7 Wimbledon titles.

Yesterday, he bettered that record by winning an eighth title at the grass arena, thus becoming the only man to have won that many titles at Wimbledon.

Federer had the opportunity to better Sampras’ record on two occasions when he reached the final in 2014 and 2015, losing the former one in five sets. By winning yesterday’s final, the Swiss is now second in the list of most Wimbledon titles, bettering Serena Williams and Steffi Graf with only Martina Navratilova ahead of him with 9 Wimbledon titles.

#1. The oldest male Wimbledon winner in the Open Era

35 – almost 36- years young!

Federer became the oldest male champion of Wimbledon in the Open Era with his 8^th title here, besting Arthur Ashe’s 42-year old record of 31 years and 360 days. Ashe was the holder of this record when he won the Wimbledon title in 1975 by defeating Jimmy Connors, thus becoming the first and till date, the only black man to have won the Wimbledon.

Before yesterday’s win, Federer had last won the tournament when he was a few weeks shy of 30 and had the chance of bettering Ashe’s record in 2014 and 2015 when he was 32 and 33 respectively.