Men's Tennis: 5 lesser-known but unique records of Roger Federer

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer is, without a doubt, the most recognizable tennis face in the world. Irrespective of whether or not an individual watches or follows tennis, he/she would have invariably heard of Roger Federer.

Over the last 15 years or so, Federer has been the most popular face of tennis and has inspired many young kids all over the globe to pick up the sport. It's difficult to think of any other tennis player over the years who have had such a profound impact on the game as Roger Federer has. In terms of greatness in sport, Federer can be equated to the likes of fellow stalwarts like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Sachin Tendulkar, Michael Schumacher, and Valentino Rossi.

Coming to his records, even a layman can say that he has won more Grand Slams and in particular, more Wimbledon trophies than any other athlete. We take a detour and instead of focusing on those records which most people already know, we delve into 5 lesser-known but certainly unique and one of a kind records set by the great Swiss superstar:

#5 Only man to win 7 or more titles at 5 different tournaments

Of the 99 ATP Singles' trophies that he has won so far in the 20 years that he has been a tennis professional, Roger Federer has acquired a liking to 5 tournaments. Not that he doesn't have the penchant to win elsewhere but let's face it - there are very very few tournaments that have not been conquered by the great man.

A layman may know that Federer is the most successful athlete in the history of the Wimbledon Championships although he/she may not know the exact number of titles Federer has won till date at the All England Club.

Apart from winning 8 Wimbledon titles, Federer is the only athlete in male tennis history to have won at least 7 or more trophies in 5 different tournaments. He has won 9 titles each at the Halle Open and the Swiss Indoors in Basel. He also has 7 titles each at the Cincinnati Masters and the Dubai Tennis Championships.

#4 Most consecutive weeks as world number 1

Roger Federer after his US Open win in 2004.

Since the ATP rankings were first introduced in 1973, few players have dominated the charts as much as Federer has. Since ascending to the top of the rankings post his win at the Australian Open of 2004, Federer held on to the top ranking for close to four and a half years until August 2008.

His stay at the top lasted a remarkable 237 consecutive weeks. The last time Federer was ranked outside the Top-4 was way back on March 2, 2003. Since then, for almost 16 years, he has been ranked inside the Top-4 - an all-time record among both men and women. This one statistic is enough to quantify his longevity and success in sport. Federer has also been ranked inside the Top-10 for more than 16 years starting from 14th October 2002.

#3 Most wins and appearances at the ATP Finals

Federer lift the 2011 ATP World Tour Finals Trophy

The previous slide spoke volumes about Federer's longevity. Just to recap one crazy mind-boggling achievement of Federer - he has been ranked inside the Top-10 of the ATP rankings since October 14, 2002. Just take a moment to picture the fact that amidst all the change and players who have faded away in the last 16 years, the one man who is almost immune to any of the changes around him is Roger Federer.

Understandably then that having been ranked inside the Top-10 for 16 years, Federer has also qualified for the ATP Finals across 16 different calendar years and won the tournament a record 6 times. In fact, he has made the semi-finals on all but one occasion. He has won 57 matches till date at the ATP showpiece event.

#2 Most BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Awards

Roger Federer has won the BBC Overseas Personality of the Year Award 4 times - 1 more than Muhammad Ali and Usain Bolt

The BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year is one of the most prestigious awards given to athletes, considering achievements in a calendar year. What makes this award more cherished is that it is given to the athlete who is judged to have outshone all other athletes not just in his/her sport but across all sport categories.

Since first introduced in 1960, some all-time great names like Garfield Sobers, Brian Lara, Muhammad Ali, Eusebio, Rod Laver, Usain Bolt, Jack Nicklaus, Martina Navratilova, Tiger Woods, and Cristiano Ronaldo have featured on the list. But what makes Federer stand out is that he has won this award more than any of these illustrious names. Federer has won the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year on 4 different occasions in 2004, 2006, 2007 and most recently in 2017.

#1 Longest gap between first and latest stints as World Number 1

Roger Federer first became World Number 1 after winning The Australian Open in 2004

Many players have come and gone in the last 15-16 years, but Federer still remains a potent force to reckon with. In fact, even players who made their professional debut much after Federer entered the tennis world have long gone.

Federer's supreme fitness is largely attributed to his style of play - all of his shots are just poetry in motion and he makes them look so effortless. Of late, his scheduling of tournaments, considering that he is now in his late 30s, has won him a lot of praiseworthy mentions.

Apart from a brief spell in 2016 where he had to take time off due to a back issue, Federer has kept himself injury free. Since ascending to the top of the ATP rankings for the first time on February 2, 2004, Federer has had 6 stints at the top. His latest rise to the summit came on June 18, 2018, and the gap between his first and latest rise to the top is 14 years, 136 days - an all-time record.