8 records held by Roger Federer that will likely never be broken

Roger Federer is a man who needs no introduction. He is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time (Rod Laver makes a very good case as well, but based on statistics alone, Federer has no equal). A true superstar, the Swiss is a magician who wields his wand in the form of a racquet and can do things on the court that many people consider impossible. In a match against James Blake, one commentator actually said, “Oh, come on, that shot should be banned from tennis!”Federer has so many records to his name, there is a lengthy Wikipedia page dedicated to it – that alone speaks volumes of his mastery. Here are eight records of Federer's that I think will stand the test of time –

#8 Never retired with injury in 1,332 matches

Roger Federer after his 1000th career match

This does not have much to do with on-court skill, but is very impressive all the same. Federer has never retired from a tennis match in 1,332 matches played, which is a record for the ATP. In the words of the Maestro himself (when asked whether players should retire from matches),

“I’d say 50% of them [retiring players] aren’t lucky because not feeling well or getting injured or carrying in an injury, depends where that player comes from. Maybe did they overplay a little bit? Has he been playing too long with an injury already? I mean, comes out in best of five set tennis. Can’t hide it, in my opinion.

"Could some guys finish the matches? I’m sure, but they didn’t decide to. For me it is shocking to see so many retirements. For me it doesn’t matter how bad I’m feeling, I will be out there and giving it a try, because you never know what’s gonna happen.”

While this record is remarkable and will definitely stand the test of time, it has less to do with tennis than simple will-power and strength of mind.

#7 28 Grand Slam finals

Roger Federer (R) and Novak Djokvic after the 2014 Wimbledon final

Most people would love to be in one Grand Slam final. Federer’s been in 28 of them, and won 18. But this record, remarkable as it is, has a chance of being surpassed because I think that his 18 Grand Slams record could also be broken sometime in the future. If that record is to be surpassed, the superhuman player will have to lose a few too.

#6 18 Grand Slams

A collage showing all of Federer's 17 Grand Slam wins

The obvious record that everyone highlights in Federer’s career is his unprecedented 18 Grand Slam titles. Even though this is a record that stretches all known bounds of tennis and separates Federer from his peers, it has a slight chance of being surpassed.

Nadal is currently on 14 Slams and Djokovic on 12, and a couple of good years for either of them could lead to the Swiss star being dethroned in this category. But it will still be an extremely difficult task to accomplish, for either of those players.

#5 302 weeks ranked World No. 1

Nike's tribute to Federer reaching 300 weeks at No.

The fact that I placed this record at number 5 shows how good his achievements have been. Federer has been ranked World No. 1 for 302 weeks in his career, which amounts to a whopping 5 years and 42 weeks. What is even more mind-boggling about this record is that it was made in only three separate periods – he lost his World No. 1 ranking only thrice.

By comparison, Pete Sampras, the next on the record list with 286 weeks, did it in 11 separate periods – meaning he lost his World No. 1 ranking 11 times.

Even though this record would require multiple Novak-Djokovic-2015 years in succession from one player to surpass, there is a slight chance that over time, this may be broken by a whisker. However, I'm not putting my money on that.

#4 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals

Roger Federer waving to the crowd after one of his numerous wins

After Federer reached the 2012 Australian Open quarterfinal, Jim Courier interviewed him on-court and said, "Okay, Rog. You’re into what must be your 750th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal!"

A record of 36 consecutive Major quarterfinals highlights Federer’s consistency and his ability to schedule his season in such a way that he remains injury-free. This is a record built over nine years (2004 Wimbledon – 2013 French Open) and once again, will be very, very hard to surpass.

#3 23 Grand Slam singles semifinals in a row

Federer celebrating his win over Murray in the 2014 Australian Open quarterfinal

This record is even more impressive than the two previous ones because of the effort it took the Swiss to build it. To enter the semifinal of a Grand Slam, you have to win five consecutive matches, which is a good result for almost anybody.

But to enter 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, you have to win five consecutive matches at each of the four Grand Slams continuously for a period of five years and nine months. Surely, this record will take some beating.

#2 237 consecutive weeks ranked World No. 1

The forehand that took Roger Federer to the top of the world

Federer was without peer from 2004-2007, when he won everything and lost almost nothing. He was so far ahead of the field that he was often assured of the year-end World No. 1 ranking even before the US Open started - that perfectly highlights his years at the top. His yearly statistics say it all – 74-6 (2004), 81-4 (2005), 92-5 (2006) and 68-9 (2007).

In 2004, 2006 and 2007, Federer won three out of four Grand Slams, and he was in the final of Roland Garros in both 2006 and 2007. This led him to amass so many points at the head of the rankings that it took a superhuman year from Rafael Nadal to push him off the top perch in 2008.

You don’t even need to research a lot of tennis to know this record likely won’t be surpassed. The next best record on the consecutive weeks at No. 1 list is by Jimmy Connors, for a mere 160 weeks. Even on the women’s side, the best record on this list is only 178 weeks, by Steffi Graf.

With the competitiveness quotient in men’s tennis on the definitive rise, this record will probably stand the test of time.

#1 40 matches won in a row at both Wimbledon and the US Open

Roger Federer with the 2012 Wimbledon trophy

If there was even a slither of doubt about the other records, there will be none whatsoever regarding this. Federer is the only male tennis player in history to have won two Grand Slam events five years in succession. This record bears special meaning – it means he dominated both the grass and the hardcourt Slams for five straight years.

In an article entitled “Top Five Factors: The Unbelievable, Unbreakable Records” on the US Open’s official website www.usopen.org, this record was ranked Number 1, ahead of Martina Navratilova‘s killer 1987 US Open in which she won the complete set – singles, doubles and mixed doubles. That, for me, says it all.

Records will be broken and records will be made, but what defines Roger Federer is not only his on-court dominance of the sport, but also his humility and how he remains grounded even after having won over 100 million dollars in prize money (also a record).

He is a champion and he will be remembered by everyone as the most elegant and simply the best player of all time.