The four ATP youngsters Roger Federer said he wanted to reach the very top of the game with back in 2002 and how their careers all went

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Roger Federer enjoyed a legendary tennis career, dominating men’s tennis for several years.

When discussing the greatest tennis players of all time, Federer is always a worthy mention.

20-times a Major champion, the Swiss star changed the game in more ways than one during his stint on the ATP Tour.

The 43-year-old won his final Grand Slam title in 2018, as he took down Marin Cilic in the final of the Australian Open.

He did so, 15 years after picking up his first Major at Wimbledon in 2003, beating Mark Philippoussis, 7-6, 6-2, 7-6, to win his first Slam.

One year earlier, Federer named four ATP stars he believed had the potential to rise to the top of the game alongside him.

Roger Federer predicted Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, and two others to reach the ‘top’ in 2002

During a press conference at the 2002 Ordina Open, in the Netherlands, Federer was asked for his thoughts on the state of men’s tennis.

“Well, in the moment, I think it’s at an unbelievable high level right now,” he said.

“It’s not really somebody totally dominating, you know, even though Lleyton [Hewitt] is quite a bit in front.

“But I still think there’s a lot of players who can beat him, you know?

“It’s not like maybe the years before, I actually quite look at this as something very interesting, and I’m actually enjoying the time.”

Federer then named the four players he hoped to see rise to the top of the ATP Tour with him.

“I hope that it’s like a few young players like [Andy] Roddick, myself, [Juan Carlos] Ferrero, [Marat] Safin, [Lleyton] Hewitt,” he said.

“I hope really that I can be one of these five players that can really make it to the top in the future.

“I’m looking forward to a good challenge.”

Following the conclusion of the 2002 Ordina Open, all four players, along with Federer, were ranked inside the world’s top 15.

Did Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Andy Roddick all reach the ‘top’?

It’s clear that Federer reached the very top, winning 20 Slam titles, but did the four players he mentioned achieve the same success?

Lleyton Hewitt

You could argue that Hewitt was already at the top, ranked number one in the world in 2002, following his title at Flushing Meadows one year earlier.

He wasn’t done there, however, as he picked up his second Slam, at the 2002 Wimbledon tournament, taking down David Nalbandian in the final.

He contested two further Major finals, coming up short on both occasions, retiring in 2016 as a true legend of Australian tennis.

• Weeks at number one – 80
• Grand Slam titles – 2
• Masters 1000 titles – 2
• ATP Finals titles – 2
• ATP titles – 30

Marat Safin

Like Hewitt, Safin was already a Major champion by 2002, having won the US Open in 2000.

Some may argue that Safin had already hit his peak, swapping the world number one ranking with Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten throughout 2000, and 2001.

He still had one last Grand Slam run in him, however, as he stormed to the 2005 Australian Open title, beating Federer and Hewitt along the way.

Safin retired from the sport in 2009 as the most successful male player in Russian tennis history.

• Weeks at number one – 9
• Grand Slam titles – 2
• Masters 1000 titles – 5
• ATP Finals titles – 0
• ATP titles – 15

Juan Carlos Ferrero

When Federer named the four players in June 2002, Ferrero had just suffered defeat in his first Grand Slam final, to Albert Costa at the French Open.

He returned one year later, looking to make things right, and he did just that, winning the title in Paris with a straight-sets win over Martin Verkerk.

He reached world number one for the first time later that same year, before losing in the final of the 2003 US Open.

Ferrero retired from active competition in 2012 and has since coached his countryman Carlos Alcaraz to four Grand Slam titles.

• Weeks at number one – 8
• Grand Slam titles – 1
• Masters 1000 titles – 4
• ATP Finals titles – 0
• ATP titles – 16

Andy Roddick

Just 19 years old when Federer picked him as a player that could reach the top of men’s tennis, Roddick quickly proved his talents on the biggest stages.

The American won his home US Open in 2003, beating Ferrero, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3, in the final to win his one and only Major title.

Shortly after, Roddick took the world number one ranking from the Spaniard, ending 2003 as the best player on the ATP Tour.

Roddick appeared in four more Grand Slam finals, losing out to his greatest rival Federer on all four occasions.

He retired after the 2012 US Open, at just 30 years old, switching his focus to the Andy Roddick Foundation.

• Weeks at number one – 13
• Grand Slam titles – 1
• Masters 1000 titles – 5
• ATP Finals titles – 0
• ATP titles – 32

As it turned out, all four players Federer mentioned won Major titles and reached world number one, a great prediction from one of the sport’s greatest stars.