{"id":39957,"date":"2025-04-22T03:02:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T03:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/39957\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T03:02:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T03:02:10","slug":"the-tennis-era-roger-federer-once-described-as-the-most-exciting-time-of-his-entire-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/39957\/","title":{"rendered":"The tennis era Roger Federer once described as the \u2018most exciting time\u2019 of his entire career"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Roger Federer competed on the ATP Tour for 23 years against some of the sport\u2019s greatest players.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Swiss star won a mightily impressive 20 Major titles during his time on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/atp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ATP Tour<\/a>, holding the Grand Slam record for several years.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/roger-federer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federer<\/a> won 16 of his 20 Slams between 2003 and 2010, dominating men\u2019s tennis during the 2000s.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"742\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2071884686-1024x742.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS\/AFP via Getty Images\" \/>Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>He then won just one Major title over the next six years, at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/wimbledon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wimbledon<\/a> in 2012, as his rivals began to catch up.<\/p>\n<p>Returning to the top of the game, Federer won three more Majors across the 2017 and 2018 seasons, enjoying real success at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/australian-open\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Australian Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It was in 2017 that Federer was asked whether he was enjoying his time more then than he did during the earlier stages of his career.<\/p>\n<p>Roger Federer once said his first years on tour were the \u2018most exciting times\u2019 of his career<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to the Tennis Channel following his remarkable start to the 2017 season, Federer replied when asked if tennis was \u2018better now than it\u2019s ever been\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPossibly, you know?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI definitely enjoyed the time when I came up on tour and played against my heroes and the guys I knew from TV, that was generally maybe the most exciting time of my career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was disbelief to share the locker room with the likes of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/pete-sampras\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[Pete] Sampras<\/a>, [Andre] Agassi, [Carlos] Moya, [Tim] Henman, [Gustavo] Kuerten, and [Pat] Rafter, I loved it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-78010206-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Chung Sung-Jun\/Getty Images\" \/>Photo by Chung Sung-Jun\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was a great time, amazing people, you know, unbelievable characters, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/goran-ivanisevic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[Goran] Ivanisevic<\/a> and [Marc] Rosset, they were just so much fun, it was really genuinely so cool.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Federer then shared some insight into how tennis had changed during his time on the tour.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t so professional like it was today I don\u2019t feel yet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was just looking around like \u2018Oh my god\u2019, like a kid in a candy store.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"593\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-52880184-1024x593.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Alexander Hassenstein\/Bongarts\/Getty Images\" \/>Photo by Alexander Hassenstein\/Bongarts\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>The 43-year-old also reflected on his rise to the top of the game, where he quickly began to dominate the players he admired during his younger years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLater on when I got into the domination phase sort of in 2004 just going from one thing to the next and trying to cope,\u201d said Federer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrying to get organized and doing a red carpet, to go and win again, back to another interview, win again, pressure, you know managing that was an amazing time in my life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u00a0learned so much in such a short period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What was Roger Federer\u2019s head-to-head record against his ATP Tour heroes?<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, Federer named eight players he competed against during the \u2018most exciting time\u2019 of his tennis career, but how did he perform against them?<\/p>\n<ul class=\"inline-links multi\">\n<li>Roger Federer 1 \u2013 0 Pete Sampras<\/li>\n<li>Roger Federer 8 \u2013 3 Andre Agassi<\/li>\n<li>Roger Federer 7 \u2013 0 Carlos Moya<\/li>\n<li>Roger Federer 7 \u2013 6 Tim Henman<\/li>\n<li>Roger Federer 1 \u2013 2 Gustavo Kuerten<\/li>\n<li>Roger Federer 0 \u2013 3 Pat Rafter<\/li>\n<li>Roger Federer 2 \u2013 0 Goran Ivanisevic<\/li>\n<li>Roger Federer 2 \u2013 2 Marc Rosset<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The 20-time Major champion secured victories against seven of the eight names he listed, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/news\/pat-rafter-finally-reveals-what-he-said-to-a-soft-roger-federer-when-he-played-him-for-the-first-time-in-1999\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federer never beat Pat Rafter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/pat-rafter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rafter<\/a> recently revealed that he was glad to have retired before Federer entered his prime years.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce he sorted that part of his game out [mental strength], oh my god, it was such a good time to leave the game,\u201d said Rafter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe wanted me to stay so he could start beating me, and I was just trying to get out of the game as quickly as I could.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Federer also held a losing record against Brazil\u2019s Gustavo Kuerten, whom he played three times in total.<\/p>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Match<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Winner<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Loser<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Score<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2004 French Open \u2013 3R<\/td>\n<td>Gustavo Kuerten<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>6-4, 6-4, 6-4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2003 Indian Wells \u2013 2R<\/td>\n<td>Gustavo Kuerten<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>7-5, 7-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2002 Hamburg Open \u2013 QF<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Gustavo Kuerten<\/td>\n<td>6-0, 1-6, 6-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p>Roger Federer and Gustavo Kuerten\u2019s head-to-head record<\/p>\n<p>The three-time <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/french-open\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French Open<\/a> champion won their sole Grand Slam match at Roland Garros in 2004, taking down Federer in three sets to advance to the last 16.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>He did, however, enjoy more success against the American duo of Pete Sampras and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/andre-agassi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andre Agassi<\/a>.<\/p>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Match<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Winner<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Loser<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Score<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2005 US Open \u2013 F<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>6-3, 2-6, 7-6, 6-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2005 Miami Open \u2013 SF<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>6-4, 6-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2005 Dubai Tennis Championships \u2013 SF<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>6-3, 6-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2005 Australian Open \u2013 QF<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>6-3, 6-4, 6-4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2004 US Open \u2013 QF<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2004 Indian Wells \u2013 SF<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>4-6, 6-3, 6-4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2003 Tennis Masters Cup \u2013 F<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>6-3, 6-0, 6-4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2003 Tennis Masters Cup \u2013 RR<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>6-7, 6-3, 7-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2002 Miami Open \u2013 F<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2001 US Open \u2013 4R<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>6-1, 6-2, 6-4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2001 Wimbledon \u2013 4R<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>Pete Sampras<\/td>\n<td>7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>1998 Basel Open \u2013 1R<\/td>\n<td>Andre Agassi<\/td>\n<td>Roger Federer<\/td>\n<td>6-3, 6-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p>Roger Federer\u2019s combined head-to-head record with Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi<\/p>\n<p>Winning nine of his 12 matches against the pair, Federer proved his Grand Slam credentials by dominating two of the sport\u2019s greats.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/news\/what-pete-sampras-claimed-about-roger-federer-after-playing-against-him-on-his-centre-court-debut-at-wimbledon-in-2001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federer beat Sampras<\/a> in a thriller at Wimbledon in their one career meeting, battling through in five sets to qualify for his second career Grand Slam quarterfinal.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-948171306-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Art SEITZ\/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images\" \/>Photo by Art SEITZ\/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>When the Swiss legend retired from tennis in 2022, he did so having played and beaten players across several different eras, entertaining millions throughout his career.<\/p>\n<p>His legacy within the sport may never be topped, as fans look back fondly on his time in tennis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Roger Federer competed on the ATP Tour for 23 years against some of the sport\u2019s greatest players. The&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39958,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4105],"tags":[4294,13325,79,1068,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-39957","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennis","8":"tag-atp","9":"tag-roger-federer","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-tennis","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114379393931517660","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39957\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}