Sports

Roger Federer

A Basel ballboy with a temper; his coach's death at 21 became the turning point he credits.

Born: 1981 · Basel, Switzerland
Roots: Swiss father, South African mother
Family: Middle class; Both parents worked at the pharmaceutical firm Ciba, where they met.
Education: Left school at 16 for the Swiss national tennis program
Started with: A ballboy badge; Ball boy at his hometown Basel tournament — which he later won ten times.
Affiliations & societies: None documented.; Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.

The pathway

1993 · age 12
Ballboy in Basel
At the Swiss Indoors, the tournament he grows up watching.
1998 · age 17
Junior Wimbledon champion
Turns professional the same year, still known for smashing racquets.
2002 · age 21
Peter Carter dies
His formative coach is killed in a car crash; Federer has called the loss the wake-up call that changed his discipline.
2003 · age 21
First Wimbledon title
Nineteen more Grand Slam titles follow over the next 15 years.
2004 · age 22
World No. 1
Holds the ranking for a record 237 consecutive weeks.
2022 · age 41
Farewell
Retires at the Laver Cup, doubles with Nadal; endorsement income continues to lead the sport.

Sources

Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.