Accounting balance sheet
It had to happen one day. Twenty-four years after his professional debut, Roger Federer, 41, has just ended his career at the Laver Cup in London. He leaves behind him, in bulk, a striking track record (103 titles on the clock, including 20 Grand Slam victories), an incredible one-handed backhand, an ideal son-in-law’s hairstyle, a gesture of great fluidity, a collection of Rolex amazing and an imperfect but more than enough sartorial elegance to crush the competition…
Faulty backhand
This group photo taken during a social event organized the day before the start of the said Laver Cup sums up the affair well. The overwhelming domination of Federer is there, the imperfections too. Examples ? The Swiss is wearing a tuxedo jacket with “sporty” notched lapels. However, in this matter, the rule is understood. The jacket can be double-breasted or straight, but its lapels must always be covered in silk (historically this allowed cigarette ashes to slide down the jacket) and fitted with a much more elegant peak notch.
The crux of the problem
This photo reveals to us that Roger Federer has surprisingly not learned, during his long career and the many concomitant social events, to master the art of tying a butterfly. He is decked out here in a mean, stiff little thing, more reminiscent of a “farfale” type of dough than a clothing accessory to mark the party, and even the pleasure. We bet that Roger Federer will take advantage of retirement to remedy this shortcoming.
setback
In the radius of imperfections, we also note the presence on the wrist of the former world number 1 of a steel watch. This 2020 Rolex Air-King would certainly be a hit in any other setting, but it looks perfectly out of place here. We can never say enough that the tuxedo can be worn without a watch, because, dressed like this, nothing matters, and certainly not the passing of time.
class teacher
We could add to finish that Federer should have equipped himself with a cummerbund, the silk scarf of military origin to tie around one’s waist in a tuxedo… But what’s the point? In this photo, as in so many others, he wears much better than his eternal rivals, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, and even appears objectively elegant, despite his stylistic flaws. So what is his secret? The body ? Smile ? Head wear? Good manners ? All of this at the same time ? We would like to know.
Roger Federer’s career in a few figures
20. This is the number of Grand Slam titles (6 Australian Open, 1 Roland-Garros, 8 Wimbledon, 5 US Open) on Roger Federer’s list, behind Novak Djokovic (21) and Rafael Nadal (22) at the time of Swiss retirement.
103. This is the total number of his titles on the circuit. The first in Milan, in 2001, and the last in Basel, in 2019. He conquered 71 on hard, his best surface ahead of grass (19), clay (11) and carpet (2).
310. This is the number of weeks spent in the place of world number 1. Overtaken by Novak Djokovic in March 2021, the Swiss nevertheless still holds the record for the number of consecutive weeks in first place. He stayed at the top for 237 weeks between 2004 and 2008.
6. With six ATP Finals (ex-Masters) to his credit (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011), he is the record holder of the event.
130.5. This is, in millions of dollars, the prize money (tournament endowment) accumulated throughout his career, singles and doubles combined.