TENNIS LIFE OF FEDEX:

• Born: 8 August 1981
• Birthplace: Basel, Switzerland
• Best Known As: Wimbledon men's champion, 2003-2007

Roger Federer is the Swiss tennis player whose five consecutive titles at Wimbledon (2003-2007) helped make him the dominant men's player in the world. Federer turned pro in 1998 after a stellar career in junior competition. He made a name for himself in 2001 by beating defending champion PETE SAMPRAS in a match at Wimbledon, before being knocked out himself in the quarterfinals. Federer won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 2003, and in 2004 he again won Wimbledon and added the Australian and U.S. Opens, with only a third-round loss in the French Open keeping him from the Grand Slam. In 2005 Federer won his third consecutive Wimbledon (defeating ANDY RODDIC in the finals for the second year in a row) and then defeated ANDRAE AGASSIE for his second straight U.S. Open title. In 2006 he lost to RAFAEL NADAL in the finals of the French Open, beat Nadal in the finals at Wimbledon and defeated ANDY RODDIC win the U.S. Open. His 2007 victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon (again beating Nadal) and the U.S. Open gave him a total of 12 Grand Slam men's singles titles, two short of Sampras's career record of 14.

Rafael Nadal broke Federer's streak at Wimbledon in 2008, beating him in a five-set thriller for the men's singles championship... Federer's father is Swiss, but his mother is from South Africa... Federer had no coach during 2004, the year he was first ranked as the world's best tennis player... Nike first approached Federer with a sponsorship deal in 1996, two years before he turned pro... Federer has never won the French Open, but has won each of the other three tennis majors at least three times: the Australian Open in 2004, 2006 and 2007, the U.S. Open from 2004-2007, and Wimbledon in 2003-2007