Five opponents Roger Federer has faced most in Grand Slam finals

Federer had reached 31 Grand Slam finals in his career.

Roger Federer was a wizard on the court, with more than a few tricks up his sleeve. He possessed an unmatchable aura that emanated whenever he walked out onto a tennis court. The Swiss maestro held in rapture those who turned up to watch him play.

Federer continued to dazzle spectators over the course of his 24-year career with his overpowering forehand combined with an elegant backhand that was the best in the business which had aged like fine wine.

Federer was a versatile player, equally at home on the grass courts of Wimbledon, where he won eight titles. He replicated the success in New York at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he became the first man in history to win five consecutive US Open titles. He also enjoyed significant success at the Australian Open, playing seven finals and winning six.

Since his retirement two years ago in 2022, he continues to command the same attention and the spotlight as he did during his days of competitive tennis. Even wiith his playing days behind him and as a spectator, he often overshadows the current players on the court.

The range of strokes by Roger Federer were artistic brushstrokes and often descended into the realm of the ethereal where none could follow. The sheer genius exhibited by the Swiss, coupled with his unique set of talents, helped him amass an enduring list of achievements, beginning with his 20 Grand Slam trophies.

Federer’s milestones include 103 singles titles, 28 Masters 1000s, six ATP Finals, being No. 1 on the ATP Ranking for 310 weeks (including an unbroken streak of 237 consecutive weeks), and finishing as the year-end No. 1 five times.

Roger Federer reached 31 Grand Slam finals in his career and conjured up many memorable encounters with his peers in his career spanning over two decades. Crossing paths multiple times till a sense of familiarity set in did little to diminish the competitive nature of those encounters. Federer has, in the words of another legend, Billie Jean King, “the most complete game of his generation.” 

Five opponents Roger Federer has faced the most in Grand Slam finals

5. Marin Cilic (2)

While Roger Federer and Marin Cilic may have had only two head-to-head meetings in Grand Slams, it made up for the lack of quantity with quality and intensity. The 2017 Wimbledon final was a first for Cilic. Even though it was a straightforward win for Federer at SW19, the Croatian returned to give Federer a scare at the 2018  Australian Open finals.

Cilic equalled the score at 2-all, winning the second set with a closely fought tie-break and the fourth with a break of serve. Federer, the then World No. 2, had to dig deep for a three-hour win against Cilic before finally crossing the finish line with the scoreboard reading 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. It was the legend’s 20th and final Grand Slam title.

4. Andy Murray (3)

The three matches between Roger Federer and Murray came at three different Grand Slam venues – Melbourne, New York and London. By then, the grass courts of SW19 had become a familiar battleground for the most epic face-offs involving Federer. Their first grand slam final meeting came in the 2008 US Open which Federer won in straight sets.

Their second grand slam final meeting had come in the Australian Open in 2010. This time even though Federer sailed in three sets, the tie breaker in the third saw Murray lose 11-13.

On the final occasion, it was to be Federer vs Murray in the 2012 championship round of Wimbledon. The match lasted four sets and nearly three hours, and 30 minutes before Federer prevailed 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. It was heartbreak for Murray, who was looking to join Fred Perry by becoming the first British man since Perry in 1936 to hold aloft the Wimbledon trophy.

The 1-0 lead Murray gained was quickly erased as Federer turned the tables on the Scotsman during the four-set win. It was Murray’s fourth loss in a Grand Slam final. The Swiss maestro regained the world No. 1 singles ranking on winning his seventh Wimbledon title and 17th major overall.

3. Andy Roddick (4)

Federer and Roddick met four times on the biggest stage of men’s tennis. Each of those four times ended with a victory for Roger Federer. They played once in New York and three more times in Wimbledon.

Federer overcame Roddick in SW19 in 2004 and 2005 during the five consecutive win streak by the Swiss (2003-2007).  Once again, the greatest tussle between the two took place at Fedrer’s stomping ground – Wimbledon. The 2005 US Open final saw Federer sailing in straight sets.

The 2009 Wimbledon summit clash besides taking four hours, and 16 minutes to complete, the decider in the five-set match consumed 30 games as Federer denied Roddick the trophy in the American’s third Wimbledon final. The final result was a 5-7, 7-6(8-6), 7-6(7-5), 3-6, 16-14 win in Federer’s favour.

It was Federer’s 15th Grand Slam title, which nudged the Swiss into the lead and past Pete Sampras’ haul of 14 majors.

Also Read: Five opponents Novak Djokovic has faced most in Grand Slam finals

2. Novak Djokovic (5)

Roger Federer and Djokovic have crossed paths across five Grand Slam finals, twice in New York and thrice in Wimbledon. The Serb would go on to win four of those five matches, including three in a row in Federer’s favourite venue – the grass courts of SW19. Djokovic’s only loss against Federer in a grand slam final came during the 2007 US Open which was also their first major summit clash.

The most dramatic encounter was the 2019 Wimbledon final which saw Djokovic save two championship points against Federer. The title round was an opportunity for the Swiss genius to seize a 21st Grand Slam singles title. 

Federer had set up two match points in the fifth set on Centre Court, serving at 8-7, up 40-15 on Djokovic. The Serb took advantage of the shift in momentum to even the score at 12-all and went on to win the first-ever Wimbledon to be decided by a final-set tie-breaker.

The loss marked Federer’s final appearance at a grand slam final as his first one had come in the same venue in 2003.

1. Rafael Nadal (9)

From the nine career Grand Slam meetings between Roger Federer and Nadal, only one was settled in three sets, with the remaining eight taking four or the entire five sets to yield a result. They have faced each other in the summit clash of three of the four grand slams – twice in Melbourne, four times in Roland Garros and thrice in Wimbledon. Nadal led the way with six wins in nine meetings.

The 2008 Wimbledon final qualifies as the most epic encounter between the two legends. Federer was on the verge of a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title, one more than Bjorn Borg. Nadal was seeking to become the first man to claim the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double since Borg 28 years before.

Nadal won the first two sets, but Federer fought his way back into the match by taking the next two sets in tie-breaks to level the match. After having his serve broke by Nadal at 7-all in the fifth set, Federer fought off three match points in the 16th game with two volleys and a backhand return. Nadal, not be denied, converted the fourth match point to claim the Wimbledon trophy when the Federer forehand found the net.

The epic five-setter took four hours and 48 minutes for Nadal to complete the 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 victory.

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