Roger Federer made a name for himself as a junior in 1998, winning Wimbledon at 16 and finishing the season on the youth throne. In those years, Martina Hingis was the Swiss athlete to watch, achieving incredible things at such a young age and making Switzerland one of the leading nations in tennis.
Still a teenager, Federer joined Martina on the big scene after advancing to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2001, surprising seven-time champion Pete Sampras in five sets at the All England Club.
Roger reached the top 10 a year later after the first Masters 1000 crown in Hamburg, hoping for another hot streak in Majors. Instead, Federer lost ground in Paris and London and was unable to find his game A at the end of the season, despite a strong year-end position.
When asked about the National Athlete of the Year award after one of his victories in Rome, Federer admitted that it is not easy to win it in Switzerland and that it is not one of his main goals.
In addition, he mentioned Martina Hingis, who had decided to retire from tennis, leaving Roger as the top star of Swiss tennis in those years. “I don’t know; every year, there are some guys who achieve something great, like Simon Ammann last year.
Then there are the skiers who win races or World Cups. I am perhaps the most popular Swiss athlete, but result- wise, I need to step up in the big tournaments or Davis Cup to be the sports athlete of the year.
That is the reason why I have not yet succeeded in Switzerland. I was second last year, third two years ago. Still, that is not the most important thing in life. Maybe I’m getting more attention since Martina Hingis’s retirement, but I was popular even when she was still active.
Also, my results helped me become more popular. My goals are higher than that. I mean, I hope to be the sports athlete of the year eventually if we have some guys that don’t perform, “said Roger Federer.
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