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Roger Federer Fashion Trailblazer

For more than two decades, Roger Federer has enthralled fans with his play, personality, and superior fashion sense. His style has evolved from his long-haired teenage years to the detail-orientated, meticulously put together icon of modern day.

Though Wimbledon made expressing fashion a unique challenge with the white dress code, Federer rose to the occasion time and time again, managing to make his warm-up outfits as resplendent as his tuxedos for the champion’s ball (a celebration he starred in eight times). At the US Open, he appropriately went for bold, loud looks to rev up the New York crowds, while at Roland Garros he counterbalanced the red background by donning blue and neutral hues. At the Australian Open, where he won six times, he stayed effortlessly cool and chic in the sweltering heat every year.

Off the court, the Swiss has been a regular at the front rows of fashion shows and on best dressed lists alike. When Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine, was asked about her favourite looks at New York Fashion Week in 2007, she famously declared, “Anything that Roger wears!”

In honour of the 20-time Grand Slam champion’s decorated career, let’s take a journey through his most memorable looks.

Wimbledon 2006
On his way to winning his fourth Wimbledon trophy in a row, Federer made a fashion statement with a cream jacket more appropriate for a black-tie gala than a tennis court. He donned the perfectly tailored outerwear for the trophy ceremony with Rafael Nadal, all but breaking the internet.

Roger Federer
Roger Federer
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Roger Federer
Roger Federer
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Alcaraz Leads Spain To Davis Cup Qualification

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz ensured Spain advanced to the Davis Cup Finals knock-out stage on Sunday, when he defeated Soonwoo Kwon 6-4, 7-6(1) to move the former champion into a 2-0 lead against South Korea in Valencia.

View Davis Cup Scores | View Davis Cup Group Standings

The 19-year-old, who captured his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open last week, lost against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday. However, Alcaraz saved all three break points he faced against Kwon to bounce back after one hour and 49 minutes.

In the first match of the tie, Roberto Bautista Agut downed Seong-chan Hong 6-1, 6-3 in 73 minutes. The result sees Spain finish top in Group B, with Canada qualifying in second.

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Scouting Report: Medvedev in Metz, Evans & Brooksby Lead San Diego Field, Federer's Farewell At Laver Cup

Three events will make for a busy week on the ATP Tour, with ATP 250s in Metz and San Diego on the schedule in addition to the weekend’s Laver Cup, the final event of Roger Federer’s legendary career.

Debutant Daniil Medvedev leads the field at the Moselle Open in Metz, while Daniel Evans and Jenson Brooksby are the top seeds at the San Diego Open. The Laver Cup, which will be held from Friday to Sunday, will feature each of the Big Four — Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray — for the first time.  

ATPTour.com looks ahead at five things to watch from each event.

View Draws: Metz | San Diego

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN METZ
1) Medvedev’s Debut: Medvedev will make his debut in ‘The Green City’ as he bids for his second ATP Tour title of 2022 (Los Cabos). The 26-year-old will be eager for a bounce-back week after his fourth-round US Open exit ultimately cost him his No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking. He enters the Metz hard courts as the World No. 4 for his first competitive action since competing in New York.

2) Returning Champ Hurkacz: World No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz did not drop a set on his way to the 2021 Metz title, including wins against Andy Murray in the quarter-finals and Pablo Carreno Busta in the final. That trophy was his third of 2021. Already a title-winner in Halle this season, Hurkacz — who also won the Metz doubles crown last year with Jan Zielinski — will hope to secure his second multiple-trophy campaign in France. After reaching the Montreal final, he went 1-2 at Cincinnati and the US Open.

3) Home Hopes: Eighth seed Adrian Mannarino leads seven Frenchman in the main draw, not including potential qualifiers. Also among the local favourites in action are Ugo Humbert, Gilles Simon, Arthur Rinderknech and Richard Gasquet. Nine of the past 12 Metz champion were French, including five straight French champions from 2009-13.

4) Musetti, Rune, Thiem Add Intrigue: #NextGenATP stars Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune are seeded third and fourth, separated by just one place in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at World No. 30 and 31, respectively. They also occupy third and fourth place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race to Milan. Musetti is making his Metz debut, while Rune returns after reaching the quarter-finals as a qualifier one year ago. Wild card Dominic Thiem is set for his second Metz appearance after a run to the 2016 final (l. to Lucas Pouille).

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'Tennis In Piazza' Returns To Turin Ahead of 2022 Nitto ATP Finals

Less than two months before the Nitto ATP Finals, tennis is already in the spotlight in Turin. In preparation for the year-end event, to be held at the Pala Alpitour stadium from 13-20 November, six parks and iconic locations will be the venues for "Tennis in Piazza" during September and October.

Organised by the Italian Tennis Federation in collaboration with the Municipality of Turin and the Piedmont Regional Schools Directorate, this activation will span across six different events and invites members of the public to familiarise themselves with a sport that is experiencing a moment of extraordinary popularity in Italy.

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Following the success of the 2021 edition of "Tennis in Piazza", this year's event returns with an avant-garde setup, keeping with the style of the Nitto ATP Finals. Each venue will have a 10x16-metre court, with teachers and supervisors from the Istituto Superiore di Formazione “Roberto Lombardi” (ISF) on hand to assist children and young aspiring players as well as adolescents and adults who want to take the first step toward learning the sport of tennis. Thanks to the collaboration between the ISF, the City of Turin and the Schools Directorate of Piedmont, this initiative has already seen 30 schools confirm their participation.

This year, "Tennis in Piazza" will also offer participants the opportunity to practise another racket sport: table tennis. Next to each tennis court, a further four playing areas will be set up with reduced-size tables specially designed for players in the preliminary stages of the sport. This activation was made possible by the support of technical experts of the Federation and in collaboration with the Piedmont Regional Committee and the Italian Table Tennis Federation.

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Botic Leads Davis Cup Group-Winners Netherlands Past United States

Botic van de Zandschulp and Tallon Griekspoor earned singles wins for the Netherlands against the United States on Saturday to secure the Dutch team the top spot in Group D with a perfect 3-0 record.

Competing in Glasgow, van de Zandschulp scored his third singles win in as many ties with a 6-4, 7-6(3) result against World No. 13 Taylor Fritz. The Dutchman broke in the ninth game of the opening set before serving it out and breaking to open set two. Fritz would level in the second, but his comeback bid ended in the tie-break.

"We’ve had an amazing week together," Van de Zandschulp said post-match. "Not everyone expected we would be No. 1, but we played some great tennis. I played to a really good level this week. The last couple of months I’ve had difficulty finding my level and I think it’s coming back."

The 26-year-old's victory clinched the tie for the Netherlands after Griekspoor's 7-5, 7-6(3) win against Tommy Paul opened Saturday's play. Griekspoor recorded two singles wins in three matches in Group D. In the dead doubles rubber, Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock put Team USA on the board with a 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 win against Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop.

Despite the defeat, the United States advances to the quarter-final stage with a 2-1 record, good enough for second place in the group.

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Felix Upsets World No. 1 Alcaraz In Davis Cup Action

Felix Auger-Aliassime earned one of the biggest wins of his career on Friday when he defeated new World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 in Davis Cup action.

The World No. 13 saved all seven break points he faced to level Canada's tie against Spain at 1-1 after two hours and 50 minutes. Auger-Aliassime took the initiative in the match to put the recent US Open champion on the back foot, especially in the critical moments.

This was Alcaraz's first match as the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The 19-year-old fought valiantly, but was unable to close out the tie.

Roberto Bautista Agut had made a good start for Spain when he rallied past Vasek Pospisil 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. There will be a deciding doubles match in Valencia.

[ATP APP]

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Gates, Messi, Tendulkar Headline Celebrity Federer Tributes

Following Roger Federer’s retirement announcement on Thursday, many tennis stars of the past and present took to social media to pay tribute to the Swiss.

But Federer’s announcement reverberated far beyond the tennis world. Celebrities including Bill Gates, football player Lionel Messi, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Formula 1 legend Fernando Alonso also shared their well-wishes for the former World No. 1.

You've been an incredible friend to me and an inspiration to an entire generation of tennis players. I'm lucky to have seen you work your magic on the court many times. And I'm excited to watch your philanthropic work grow in this next phase of your life. https://t.co/lAWC14Ho1B

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) September 15, 2022

What a career, @rogerfederer. We fell in love with your brand of tennis. Slowly, your tennis became a habit. And habits never retire, they become a part of us.

Thank you for all the wonderful memories. pic.twitter.com/FFEFWGLxKR

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Federer, Serena Share Parallel Paths To Greatness

They were born only 49 days apart, though in vastly different corners of the world.

Consider the catalogues of Serena Williams and Roger Federer as a portrait of contrasting forces. Stylistically different, but in terms of sheer substance, they are two of the most decorated players of the Open Era, almost without rivals.

It feels appropriate they chose to depart from professional tennis within a span of five weeks. Williams’ retirement news arrived in a Vogue magazine essay on 9 August, the day after Federer turned 41. His announcement came Thursday, 11 days before her 41st birthday.

“This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me,” Federer wrote in his retirement letter. “But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible.”

Williams earlier had expressed similar sentiments when saying goodbye to fans.

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ATP Announces Record-Breaking Challenger Tour Enhancements

ATP has announced significant upgrades to the ATP Challenger Tour, set to deliver a record number of events, multi-million dollar prize money increases and an optimised tournament calendar from January 2023. The reforms follow an in-depth review and strategy development, conducted by ATP’s new senior Challenger Tour team over the past eight months.

Key changes include:

1) Category Simplification:

The ATP will phase out the Challenger 90 and 110 categories, reducing the number of categories from six to four. Starting in 2023, the core categories will be:

Challenger 50 Challenger 75 Challenger 100 Challenger 125

In addition, ATP will introduce three brand-new premium Challenger 175 events, during the second week of ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Rome and Madrid, with prize money of $220,000.

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ATP 50: Next Gen Past & Present

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ATP 50: Sampras' Six-Year Reign

In 1973, Ilie Nastase became the first player to finish the season as the year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Since then, a further 16 players have ended the year at the top of tennis’ mountain.

Novak Djokovic holds the ATP record of seven year-end No. 1 finishes, while 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz will be aiming to become the youngest player in history to finish the season in top spot after soaring to No. 1 following his recent US Open title run. However, one record looks set to remain for years to come...

As part of ATP’s anniversary celebrations, ATPTour.com has identified 50 game-changing moments of the past 50 years and collated them in an immersive feature. Here we look at how Pete Sampras stayed at the top of the sport throughout the 1990s.

[ATP APP]

As Sampras secured his place among the sport’s kings in the 1990s, one record kept the American hungry: Jimmy Connors’ five straight year-end No. 1 finishes between 1974 and 1978.

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Fritz Guides United States To Victory In Davis Cup Finals

Taylor Fritz fired the United States closer to the Davis Cup Finals knock-out stage on Thursday, defeating Alexander Bublik 7-6(6), 1-6, 6-3 to give the Americans an unassailable 2-0 lead against Kazakhstan.

The United States won its opening Group D tie in Glasgow against Great Britain in the early hours of Wednesday morning and backed that up with a comfortable victory against Kazakhstan. In the first match of the tie, Tommy Paul proved too strong for Mikhail Kukushkin. The World No. 29 cruised past the 34-year-old 6-1, 6-4 in 87 minutes, before Fritz finished the job.

View Davis Cup Scores

Kecmanovic Seals Serbia’s Win Against South Korea
Miomir Kecmanovic overcame Soonwoo Kwon 6-3, 6-3 in Valencia to keep Serbia’s Davis Cup qualification chances alive in Group B.

The World No. 33 saved all four break points he faced to triumph after 81 minutes, moving Serbia into a 2-0 lead against South Korea. Kecmanovic has improved his ATP Head2Head series record against the 24-year-old to 2-0.

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Borges Cooks Up Success On ATP Challenger Tour

Portugal’s Nuno Borges might just celebrate making his Top 100 debut by putting to use one of his biggest passions outside of tennis.

“I like to bake cakes,” Borges told ATPTour.com “I think I got that from my mom, I used to help her when I was young and I guess I still have that in me, it’s a side of me that not many people know about.”

After a second consecutive standout year on the ATP Challenger Tour, Borges found himself knocking on the door of the Top 100 on the eve of the US Open. Then at Flushing Meadows, the 25-year-old advanced through qualifying before reaching the second round, a run that lifted him to World No. 93 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The Maia native is just the sixth Portuguese player to win a Grand Slam main-draw match in men's singles and the fourth Portuguese player to crack the Top 100 in the past decade, joining Joao Sousa, Pedro Sousa, and Gastao Elias (in 2016, Joao Sousa reached the highest ranking in Portuguese tennis history when he climbed to a career-high No. 28).

[ATP APP]

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Nadal's Letter To Retiring Federer: 'I Wish This Day Would Have Never Come'

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal created one of the most iconic rivalries in all of sports. Following Federer’s retirement announcement on Thursday, Nadal wrote a letter to his “friend and rival” on Twitter.

“I wish this day would have never come. It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world. It’s been a pleasure but also an honour and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court,” Nadal wrote. “We will have many more moments to share together in the future, there are still lots of things to do together, we know that.

“For now, I truly wish you all the happiness with your wife, Mirka, your kids, your family and enjoy what’s ahead of you. I’ll see you in London at Laver Cup.”

Dear Roger,my friend and rival.
I wish this day would have never come. It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world.
It’s been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court ??

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) September 15, 2022

Federer and Nadal played each other 40 times in their ATP Head2Head series, with 24 of those matches coming in finals. All but four of their clashes came in the semi-finals or final of a tournament, or at the Nitto ATP Finals.

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Read Roger Federer's Retirement Letter

Roger Federer announced his upcoming retirement at the Laver Cup on Thursday in a letter. The Swiss' voiceover of that letter and the text, in full, are below.

To my tennis family and beyond,

With Love,
Roger pic.twitter.com/1UISwK1NIN

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022

To my tennis family and beyond,

Of all the gifts that tennis has given me over the years, the greatest, without a doubt, has been the people I’ve met along the way: my friends, my competitors, and most of all the fans who give the sport its life. Today, I want to share some news with you all.

As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it’s time to end my competitive career.

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#RForever: Federer's Legacy Looms Large

Roger Federer, who today announced his intention to retire at the Laver Cup this month, is the benchmark to which every tennis champion — past or present — is measured, and a true global ambassador who transcended the sport.

In a career of jaw-dropping achievement, the Swiss was not only exciting to watch in the efficiency and beauty of his execution, but at the height of his powers in his quest for historic records, Federer was a perfectionist. His own game not only evolved in 25 seasons as a professional, but he also forced his rivals — many of whom had a Federer poster on their bedroom walls — to improve, too.

[ATP APP]

Federer’s longevity was centred on the fact that not only could he play superbly on every surface, but he combined great fitness with strategy and anticipation. Tennis fans will today reflect upon his legacy and periods of dominance, notably his record 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings from 2 February 2004 to 17 August 2008 and how he also reached a record 23 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals from 2004 Wimbledon to the 2010 Roland Garros semi-finals (winning 20 of them).

But there was also his dedication, commitment, and desire to not only stay ahead of his fellow professionals, but to evolve every aspect of his game. Throughout his illustrious career, Federer brought in the likes of specialist coaches, such as Tony Roche, Stefan Edberg, and Ivan Ljubicic, to join his established and trusted team. Federer went on to develop his serve strategy, the way he volleyed and how his single-handed backhand improved to combat his greatest rivals, notably Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Roger Federer
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Social Media Reaction To Federer's Retirement

Roger Federer’s announcement that next week’s Laver Cup will be his final ATP event caught the tennis and sports world by surprise Thursday. Many of tennis’ biggest stars quickly reacted to the news.

Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick, new World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and Rod Laver were among the first to post tributes on social media.

Cheers Roger. Thanks for the shared memories my friend. It was an honor to share time/experiences on the most hallowed grounds in our sport. Don’t be a stranger ….

— andyroddick (@andyroddick) September 15, 2022

Roger… ?

— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) September 15, 2022

Roger has been one of my idols and a source of inspiration! ? Thank you for everything you have done for our sport! ❤️ I still want to play with you! ? Wish you all the luck in the world for what comes next! ?? @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/k4xjyN3AAB

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Roger Federer Announces End Of Historic Career

Roger Federer announced his upcoming retirement Thursday, saying that next week's Laver Cup will be his final ATP event.

"As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form, but I also know my body’s capabilities and limits and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years," Federer said. "Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt and now I must recognise when it's time to end my competitive career.

"The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the Tour."

The Swiss legend held World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for 310 weeks, second-most since 1973 behind only Novak Djokovic. However, Federer held top spot for a record 237 consecutive weeks from 2 February 2004 until 18 August 2008.

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Bautista Agut Gives Spain Winning Start In Davis Cup Finals

Roberto Bautista Agut ensured Spain made a winning start to its Group B campaign on Wednesday in Valencia. The World No. 21 struck 37 winners en route to a 7-6(5), 7-6(5) victory against Miomir Kecmanovic to give Spain a 2-0 lead against Serbia.

In the first match of the tie, Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas clawed past Laslo Djere 2-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 in two hours and 57 minutes. With his win, the 34-year-old has levelled his ATP Head2Head series against two-time tour-level titlist Djere at 2-2.

View Davis Cup Live Scores

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Italy Sweeps Past Croatia
Matteo Berrettini rallied past Croatian Borna Coric 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-1 to secure Italy victory in Group A in Bologna.

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Alcaraz's Rapid Rise From ATP Challenger Tour To Grand Slam Champion

Perhaps the next big tennis rivalry initially started on the ATP Challenger Tour.

When Carlos Alcaraz made his Challenger Tour debut at 15-years-old, he defeated 17-year-old Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 at the Alicante Challenger in 2019. The Spaniard made history that day, becoming the first player born in 2003 to win an ATP match.

This past week, Alcaraz and Sinner met for the fifth time in a thrilling quarter-final match at the US Open, where Alcaraz outlasted the Italian 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3 in the second-longest match in US Open history (five hours, 15 minutes). The two youngsters produced a high quality of tennis, battling until 2:50 a.m. local time.

Alcaraz and Sinner have split their four ATP Tour-level meetings and the instant classic at Flushing Meadows proved that their matches will be must-watch television for years to come.

[ATP APP]

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