Roger Federer held the World No. 1 spot for a record total of 310 weeks
Even in his wildest dreams, Roger Federer would not have imagined that one day he would go on win a record 20 Grand Slam titles.
Neither would he have thought that he’d also achieve the rare feat of staying as the ATP World No.1 for a record 310 weeks.
However, a young Federer, back in 2001, had predicted that he would become the No.1 in the world.
A 20-year-old Federer talks about this in an interview by Trans World Sport in 2001. In the video, the Swiss star talks about the compliments he receives and his chances of becoming the top-ranked player.
“When I won the junior title at Wimbledon lots of people were saying he’ll be a very good player one day but you still have to show you’re worthy of that. You still have to get the results,” Federer said.
“That’s what I’ve done recently but I’m still not in the top-ten. I believe that once I’m there, my chances of becoming number one will be much higher. I think that sometimes it almost sounds too easy, becoming number one.
“A lot of things have to be right. You have to be in form and avoid getting injured. So, let’s wait and see what happens,” he ended hopefully.
Federer knew of his talents back then, and it is incredible he knew there was a chance of becoming the best back then.
Meanwhile, Federer has attained several other records in his glittering trophy-laden career. He has ended the year as World No.1 player five times, four of which happened consecutively.
Tennis alone wasn’t Federer’s passion
It is a wide-known fact that Roger Federer is a huge fan of his hometown club FC Basel.
Despite staying on top for so long since making his professional debut in 1998, it wasn’t tennis alone that was Federer’s passion.
He was an accomplished footballer player also, however, at the age of 12 he decided to give up on the sport in order to focus entirely on tennis.
Just two years later, aged 14, he joined the Swiss National Training Centre to pursue his dream of becoming a professional tennis player.
The Swiss star is currently recovering from knee surgery. He was set to miss Roland Garros later this year but it is to be seen how the coronavirus pandemic affects the tennis schedule.
More tennis news:
- “One day he could be almost unbeatable” – Throwback to Carlos Moya making an incredible Rafael Nadal prediction
- Throwback: Teenage Roger Federer speaks about incredible win over “idol” Pete Sampras
- Novak Djokovic’s coronavirus decision leaves some in the tennis world divided
Follow our dedicated tennis page for instant news and updates
