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Roger Federer and Serena Williams share a lot of uncanny similarities. Born seven weeks apart from each other four decades ago, the duo are widely regarded as two of the best players in tennis history.
They are now set to retire within weeks of each other. After Williams played the last match of her illustrious career in the US Open third round two weeks ago, Federer will call time on his career after the Laver Cup next week.
Both players endured long layoffs after Wimbledon last year. While Williams has played seven singles matches this year - going 3-4 - Federer is yet to play competititively and has dropped out of the ATP rankings. He will now play the last tournament of his career at the O2 in London next week, knowing that at 41, his body is not ready for more.
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Federer, with 20 Grand Slam titles, won his last Major at the Australian Open four years ago. Williams, the Open Era Major singles leader with 23 triumphs, also won her last Major title at the Australian Open (2017).
During the course of their illustrious careers, both players have triumphed at the same Grand Slam on a few occasions. On that note, here's a look at the seven occasions - in chronological order - when Federer and Williams reigned supreme at the same Major:
#1 Wimbledon' 03 (Roger Federer - 1st Major title; Serena Williams - 6th)
Two years after flooring seven-time winner Pete Sampras in the fourth round, it was only apt that Roger Federer would make his Major breakthrough at Wimbledon.
Federer dropped his only set of the fortnight in the third round against Mardy Fish before beating Mark Philippoussis in the final to win his first of eight Wimbledon titles.
Meanwhile, Williams - who was the defending champion that year - dropped two sets in her last three matches to successfully defend her title. It was her sixth Major win and second at Wimbledon.
#2 Australian Open' 07 - (Roger Federer - 10th Major title; Serena Williams - 8th)
Serena Williams' victory at the 2007 Australian Open was her eighth in Grand Slams.
En route to becoming the first unseeded Australian Open winner in nearly three decades, Williams dropped her first set of the fortnight against Nadia Petrova in the third round.
After beating Shahar Peer 8-6 in the third in the last eight, the then World No. 81 conceded only three games against Maria Sharapova in a lopsided title match to win her third Australian Open title.
Meanwhile, Federer also won his third Australian Open that year - beating Fernando Gonzalez in the final - which was his tenth Major title.
His triumph marked the first time in 27 years (Bjorn Borg - 1980 Roland Garros) that a male player won a Slam without dropping a set. It was Federer's record-equalling seventh-straight Grand Slam final, winning five.
#3 US Open' 08 (Roger Federer - 13th Major title; Serena Williams - 9th)
Roger Federer was the undisputed king of New York in 2008, winning a record-extending fifth straight title to move level with Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras.
Having endured debilitating defeats to Rafael Nadal in the Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals earlier in the year, Federer was determined not to end the year without a Major title.
He needed five sets to get past Igor Andreev in the fourth round and four sets against Novak Djokovic in the last four before beating first-time Major finalist Andy Murray to win his 13th Major title. It would prove to be Federer's last triumph at Flushing Meadows.
Serena Williams, meanwhile, returned to World No. 1 by winning her third US Open title - first in six years - and ninth overall. It was the third time she won a Grand Slam without dropping a set, beating Jelena Jankovic in the final.
#4 Wimbledon' 09 (Roger Federer - 15th Major title; Serena Williams - 11th)
Weeks after winning his first Roland Garros title to complete a career Grand Slam, Roger Federer became the first player in nearly three decades (Bjorn Borg - 1980) to complete the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double.
After dropping only one set en route to his seventh straight Wimbledon final, Federer seemed to meet his match in Andy Roddick. However, he saved four consecutive set points to avoid falling behind two sets. Federer then triumphed 16-14 in the decider to become the first male player to win 15 Grand Slam titles.
Serena Williams, meanwhile, dropped her only set of the fortnight in the semifinals against Elena Dementieva - where she saved a match point. She then denied her sister Venus a three-peat to win her fourth Wimbledon and 11th Major title.
#5 Australian Open' 10 (Roger Federer - 16th Major title; Serena Williams - 12th)
Serena Williams successfully defended her title at the 2010 Australian Open. After recovering from a set and 4-0 down against Victoria Azarenka in the last eight, she went the distance against wildcard Justine Henin to win her fifth title at Melbourne Park.
With the win - her 12th at Grand Slams - Williams became the first woman player in the Open Era to win five Australian Open titles.
Meanwhile, in the men's draw, top seed Roger Federer also dropped only two sets en route to the title - Igor Andreev in the first round and Nikolay Davydenko in the quarterfinals. Federer then beat Murray in straight sets to win his fourth Australian Open title - which was also his 16th Major.
With that triumph, Federer led Nadal (6) and Djokovic (1) in the all-time Major leadeboard. Both men surpassed the 20-time Grand Slam winner this year - Nadal at the Australian Open and Djokovic at Wimbledon.
#6 Wimbledon' 12 (Roger Federer - 18th Major title; Serena Williams - 14th)
Roger Federer ended his two-and-a-half-year Grand Slam title drought by triumphing for the seventh time at Wimbledon in 2012.
The third seed didn't have an easy fornight - recovering from two sets down in the third round against Julien Benneteau, and needing four sets in the fourth round (Xavier Malisse), semifinal (Novak Djokovic) and final (Andy Murray). With the win, Federer moved level with Pete Sampras for most Wimbledon titles by a male player in the Open Era.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams also needed to take the scenic route to her fifth Wimbledon title. She dropped sets against Zheng Jie in the third round, Yaroslava Shvedova in the fourth and Agnieska Radwanska in the final.
#7 Australian Open' 17 (Roger Federer - 18th Major title; Serena Williams - 23rd)
Serena Williams made history at the Australian Open in 2017. In an all-Williams final, she beat her older sister Venus to become the first player - male or female - in the Open Era to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
It was the perfect fortnight for the younger Williams sister in Melbourne, as she romped to the title without dropping a set. With her seventh Australian Open triumph, Williams broke a tie with Steffi Graf to become the most successful Grand Slam singles champion in the Open Era.
As things would turn out, it proved to be the last time Serena Williams hoisted aloft a Grand Slam singles title.
Meanwhile, in the men's draw, Roger Federer made a fairy-tale run to the title after returning from a six-month injury layoff. Against arch-rival Nadal in the final, Federer recovered from a break down to end his four-and-half-year Major drought as he triumphed for the fifth time in Melbourne.
Federer would return to successfully defend his title the next year - which proved to be his 20th and final Major singles title.
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