Roger Federer retires: a look at 10 grand slam finals appearances
Roger Federer has announced his retirement from professional tennis
Roger Federer won 103 titles as a professional tennis player. The very first came when he was 19 and beat Julien Boutter 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4 on an indoor hard court in Milan in February 2001.
Federer, who has announced his retirement at age 41, is best known for his 20 championships at grand slam tournaments: eight at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the US Open and one at the French Open.
Let's take a look at 10 of Federer's most memorable Grand Slam finals.
He's pictured here with the Wimbledon trophy in 2009 - which was his 15th grand slam title.
Words: Howard Fendrich
Gallery: Damien McCartney
First grand slam final: Wimbledon 2003 v Mark Philippoussis (W)
Federer won the 1998 junior title at the All England Club, and another sign of what was to come arrived when he ended seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras' 31-match winning streak in the fourth round there in 2001.
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First grand slam final: Wimbledon 2003 v Mark Philippoussis (W)
But Federer did not make it past the quarter finals at any major tournament until 2003 at Wimbledon, when he earned his first grand slam trophy at age 21 with a 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (3) victory over Mark Philippoussis.
"There was pressure from all sides; also from myself," Federer said that day, after sobbing on court when the match ended.
First US Open final: 2004 v Lleyton Hewitt (W)
Federer talked about the noise and all of the goings-on in New York, wondering aloud how he would deal with all of the conditions and distractions there.
He won it the fifth time he entered, beating Lleyton Hewitt 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0 - the first time there had been two shutout sets in the event's championship match since 1884.
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First US Open final: 2004 v Lleyton Hewitt (W)
"I'm grateful every tournament, every grand slam I win. You never know which is your last," Federer said then.
That would be the first of five triumphs in a row at Flushing Meadows.
He beat a string of opponents from multiple generations - all, like Hewitt, major champions and ranked No.1 at some point - in the finals: Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
The rivalry begins: French Open 2005 semi-finals v Rafael Nadal (L)
Federer's first grand slam matchup against Rafael Nadal was in the semi finals of the 2005 French Open, which Nadal won en route to his first major trophy at age 19.
Their first grand slam final came a year later in Paris, when Federer was 24 and 7-0 in major title matches for his career (the best start for a man since the 1880s).
He also was riding a 27-match unbeaten streak at majors overall. They had met six times previously, but what was at stake in 2006 truly marked the beginning of what would become an enduring rivalry.
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Their first slam final meeting: French Open 2006 final v Rafael Nadal (L)
It was the first French Open final since 1984 between men ranked No.1 (Federer) and No.2 (Nadal).
Nadal won 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4), using his high-bouncing, topspin-lathered lefty forehand to create big problems on Federer's backhand side.
The result made Federer 0-4 against Nadal in 2006, 44-0 against everyone else.
The greatest final ever: Wimbledon 2008 v Rafael Nadal (L)
After losing to Nadal in three straight French Open finals (2006-08) and beating him in two consecutive Wimbledon finals (2006-07), Federer carried winning streaks of 40 matches at the All England Club and 65 on grass courts into their latest meeting at Centre Court.
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The greatest final ever: Wimbledon 2008 v Rafael Nadal (L)
In what many consider the greatest tennis match in the sport's long history, Nadal ended Federer's bid for a sixth championship in a row at Wimbledon by edging him 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 as darkness descended after 9pm in a 4h 48m test of will as much as skill.
"Probably my hardest loss, by far," Federer said.
Career grand slam: French Open 2009 vs Robin Soderling (W)
Federer became the sixth man with a career Grand Slam - at least one trophy at all four majors - and tied Sampras' men's record of 14 majors by beating Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 in Paris.
This was one of Federer's five appearances in the title match at Roland Garros, and the only one against someone other than Nadal.
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