The 2003 Wimbledon championships marked the first of Roger Federer’s record-eight triumphs at the All England Club.
After defeating Andy Roddick in the semi-final, Federer met Mark Philippoussis in the championship match.
In his first trip to a Grand Slam final, the then 21-year-old defeated Philippoussis in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2, 7-6 to clinch the title on Centre Court.
He became the first Swiss player to emerge victorious at Wimbledon, and the first from his country to win a major title.
Following the final, Philippoussis reflected on the match and made a prediction for Federer’s future.
Mark Philippoussis’ prediction for Roger Federer after Wimbledon in 2003
In his post-match press conference, Philippoussis said of his conqueror: “He did play extremely well.
“He definitely played better than me on the day. You know, that first tiebreaker was huge, to get the momentum going.
“And, you know, I was up a mini-break in that 4-3, I missed a forehand and double-faulted. You know, it cost me the first tiebreaker.”
He was then asked: “Do you think he’s the sort of player that can maybe come back here and dominate for years to come?”
The Australian responded: “I don’t know if he’s gonna, you know, dominate. He’s definitely a great player.
“There are a lot of great players out there. So as far as someone dominating the game, you know, I don’t think that will happen.”
Roger Federer’s record at Wimbledon after 2003
After winning his first Wimbledon title in 2003, Federer didn’t lose a match at the tournament for the next five years.
He won the following four editions, winning back-to-back finals against both Roddick and Rafael Nadal.
Federer’s fifth straight victory in 2007 tied Bjorn Borg‘s record for the most consecutive Wimbledon titles in the Open Era.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion’s winning streak came to an end in 2008, when he lost to Nadal in the final.
After that, he won again in 2009, 2012, and for the final time in 2017, when he claimed the record for the most Wimbledon crowns in history.
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