Roger Federer competed on the ATP Tour for 23 years against some of the sport’s greatest players.
The Swiss star won a mightily impressive 20 Major titles during his time on the ATP Tour, holding the Grand Slam record for several years.
Federer won 16 of his 20 Slams between 2003 and 2010, dominating men’s tennis during the 2000s.
He then won just one Major title over the next six years, at Wimbledon in 2012, as his rivals began to catch up.
Returning to the top of the game, Federer won three more Majors across the 2017 and 2018 seasons, enjoying real success at the Australian Open.
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.
Roger Federer once said his first years on tour were the ‘most exciting times’ of his career
Speaking to the Tennis Channel following his remarkable start to the 2017 season, Federer replied when asked if tennis was ‘better now than it’s ever been’.
“Possibly, you know?” he said.
“I 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.
“It was disbelief to share the locker room with the likes of [Pete] Sampras, [Andre] Agassi, [Carlos] Moya, [Tim] Henman, [Gustavo] Kuerten, and [Pat] Rafter, I loved it.
“That was a great time, amazing people, you know, unbelievable characters, [Goran] Ivanisevic and [Marc] Rosset, they were just so much fun, it was really genuinely so cool.”
Federer then shared some insight into how tennis had changed during his time on the tour.
“It wasn’t so professional like it was today I don’t feel yet,” he said.
“I was just looking around like ‘Oh my god’, like a kid in a candy store.”
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.
“Later on when I got into the domination phase sort of in 2004 just going from one thing to the next and trying to cope,” said Federer.
“Trying 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.
“I learned so much in such a short period of time.”
What was Roger Federer’s head-to-head record against his ATP Tour heroes?
In 2017, Federer named eight players he competed against during the ‘most exciting time’ of his tennis career, but how did he perform against them?
- Roger Federer 1 – 0 Pete Sampras
- Roger Federer 8 – 3 Andre Agassi
- Roger Federer 7 – 0 Carlos Moya
- Roger Federer 7 – 6 Tim Henman
- Roger Federer 1 – 2 Gustavo Kuerten
- Roger Federer 0 – 3 Pat Rafter
- Roger Federer 2 – 0 Goran Ivanisevic
- Roger Federer 2 – 2 Marc Rosset
The 20-time Major champion secured victories against seven of the eight names he listed, but Federer never beat Pat Rafter.
Rafter recently revealed that he was glad to have retired before Federer entered his prime years.
“Once he sorted that part of his game out [mental strength], oh my god, it was such a good time to leave the game,” said Rafter.
“He 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.”
Federer also held a losing record against Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten, whom he played three times in total.
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2004 French Open – 3R | Gustavo Kuerten | Roger Federer | 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2003 Indian Wells – 2R | Gustavo Kuerten | Roger Federer | 7-5, 7-6 |
| 2002 Hamburg Open – QF | Roger Federer | Gustavo Kuerten | 6-0, 1-6, 6-2 |
The three-time French Open champion won their sole Grand Slam match at Roland Garros in 2004, taking down Federer in three sets to advance to the last 16.
He did, however, enjoy more success against the American duo of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2005 US Open – F | Roger Federer | Andre Agassi | 6-3, 2-6, 7-6, 6-1 |
| 2005 Miami Open – SF | Roger Federer | Andre Agassi | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2005 Dubai Tennis Championships – SF | Roger Federer | Andre Agassi | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 2005 Australian Open – QF | Roger Federer | Andre Agassi | 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2004 US Open – QF | Roger Federer | Andre Agassi | 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2004 Indian Wells – SF | Roger Federer | Andre Agassi | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2003 Tennis Masters Cup – F | Roger Federer | Andre Agassi | 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 |
| 2003 Tennis Masters Cup – RR | Roger Federer | Andre Agassi | 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2002 Miami Open – F | Andre Agassi | Roger Federer | 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 2001 US Open – 4R | Andre Agassi | Roger Federer | 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2001 Wimbledon – 4R | Roger Federer | Pete Sampras | 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 |
| 1998 Basel Open – 1R | Andre Agassi | Roger Federer | 6-3, 6-2 |
Winning nine of his 12 matches against the pair, Federer proved his Grand Slam credentials by dominating two of the sport’s greats.
Federer beat Sampras in a thriller at Wimbledon in their one career meeting, battling through in five sets to qualify for his second career Grand Slam quarterfinal.
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.
His legacy within the sport may never be topped, as fans look back fondly on his time in tennis.
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