*Roger Federer :(IPA pronunciation: [ˈɹɑ.dʒər ˈfɛ.dər.ər]) (born August 8, 1981) is a Swiss tennis professional, currently ranked World No. 1. Many experts and many of his own tennis peers believe that Federer may be the greatest men's singles player of all time.
Personal life:
*Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Swiss-German Robert Federer and South African Lynette Federer. He grew up 10 minutes from Basel proper, in suburban Münchenstein which borders France and Germany.
He considers his main language German, but he also speaks French and English fluently. He conducts press conferences in all three. Answering a frequently asked question about the proper pronunciation of his first name, Federer said: "As my mother comes from South Africa, my name has always been pronounced the English way."
As a boy, Federer was very emotional on the court and threw many tantrums, in contrast to his cool, calm playing style today. He admits to being kicked off the practice court occasionally. Federer was also a very talented football player. At one point, he considered becoming a professional player but instead decided to make a career in tennis. He continues to support FC Basel, his hometown club and is also a fan of the Italian club AS Roma. When he was younger, he liked to watch tennis player Marcelo Ríos in action. Federer especially liked Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker and has cited them as idols.
Federer spends his off-court time at the beach, skiing, and playing card games, table tennis, football, and golf. He is an avid fan of Färjestads BK, a Swedish Elite League ice-hockey team. He currently resides in Oberwil, Switzerland and is dating former WTA player and Slovakian-born Miroslava Vavrinec (Mirka), who retired from tennis in 2002 after a foot injury. The two met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
With Mirka and a Swiss associate, Federer launched a fragrance and cosmetics line called RF Cosmetics in October 2003.
His favorite vacation spots are the Maldives, Dubai, and the Swiss mountains.He is also friends with golf superstar Tiger Woods. Roger Federer won his first tournament on the pro tour in 2001. He defeated Pete Sampras in the fourth round at the Wimbledon ending Sampras' 31-match winning streak in the tournament.
He co-established the Roger Federer Foundation in December 2003. Its goals include funding projects that benefit disadvantaged children, primarily in South Africa, such as the charity IMBEWU. In January 2005, he encouraged efforts from tennis players for the people affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, saying he would play as many matches as possible in tournaments organized to raise funds for the tsunami victims and auctioned off his autographed racquets to raise funds for UNICEF's relief operations.
On April 3, 2006, Federer was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF, which helps poor children from all parts of the world. He made his first official trip as Goodwill Ambassador on December 23, 2006, when he visited children in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a region devastated by the December 26, 2004, tsunami. "It's amazing to see how young people are using the rebuilding process as an opportunity to improve their lives and strengthen their community," said Federer. "The way these children are bouncing back from even the toughest tragedy is a testament to their resilience."
Federer is the first living Swiss to be pictured on a postage stamp. The stamp was issued in April 2007, and shows Federer with the Wimbledon trophy. Switzerland does not normally depict persons on its stamps, except for historical figures.
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