Roger Federer (USA)

Roger Federer biography:

Roger Federer is one of the best tennis players currently touring, and undoubtedly the best Swiss tennis player ever.

Federer was raised in Münchenstein, a quiet suburb of Basel, a quiet Swiss metropolis. He started playing tennis at the age of three, and for several years he was an outstanding player at both tennis and soccer. At adolescence, he decided to concentrate on tennis, and at 14 his parents enrolled him at the National Tennis Center, where he lived the game for two years.

As a young player, Federer quickly climbed through the junior ranks. During his last year as a junior, in 1998, he won the Wimbledon singles and doubles junior championships.

Renowned as a nice guy, Federer does not throw temper tantrums or smash his rackets when he loses, and he politely seems willing to sign every autograph requested. He never swears in public, and keeps his long rock-star style hair in a tidy ponytail. He has dated the same woman, tennis pro Miroslava Vavrinec, since 2000.

In his first few years on the adult circuit, Federer won a few minor tournaments, but wilted at the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the French Open. Critics suggested he may be too nice, lacking the innate inner drive needed to dominate the game.

Such naysayers were shushed after Federer made history in 2003 by becoming the first Swiss man to win the singles championship at Wimbledon. In 2004, he did it again.

Like a fine Swiss watch, Federer's game is smooth and reliable. In commercials, he endorses high-quality timepieces manufactured by Maurice Lacroix. He is also sponsored by Nike, Wilson, and Emmi, a Swiss dairy conglomerate.

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