Throughout a career that spans nearly three decades, Switzerland’s Roger Federer has changed the game of tennis more compellingly than any other player in the Open era.
Aside from capturing the number one spot of the Association of Tennis Players (ATP), Federer dominated the world rankings for a total of 310 weeks (including a record 237 consecutive weeks and five top year-end rankings), winning 20 men’s Grand Slam titles, and a record six ATP Finals. He did so with the presence of his fiercest rivals, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, displaying consistent performances during the Open Era that put him in a league of his own.
Highlighting Federer’s storied career are several books and documentaries that collectively capture the champion’s true personality off and on the court, unmatched love for the game, failures, and triumphs – all of which have convinced many that he is, indeed, the greatest of all time.
Below are the top ten resources (in chronological order) that encapsulate the charismatic champion’s rise to superstardom and, perhaps, into a crossroad that paves both paths to either his retirement or a continuing legacy.
1. Sporting Greats: Roger Federer
Pitch International LLP (2012)
Executive Producers: Hans Duikersloot, Trevor East, Paul McGrath, Jon Owen
This short documentary takes an intimate look at how Federer rose to fame starting from his Wimbledon Junior Championship title in 1998, which had put him in the same league as tennis greats Bjorn Borg and Pat Cash.
The documentary gives viewers a look at how a young and temperamental Federer transformed into one of the most enigmatic players to dominate the sport. It shows viewers his younger days when he picked up his first racket (after following the great rivalry of German Boris Becker and Swedish Stefan Edberg in the ‘80s), and how he caused one of the biggest upsets in tennis history by shattering American Pete Sampras’s 31-win streak at Wimbledon.
With interviews from the champion himself, Becker, Sampras, and Rafael Nadal, plus commentaries on his first Wimbledon singles title against Australian Mark Philippoussis and early rivalry with Nadal, this 22-minute production is a must-see for any new fan. It offers valuable insights into the champion’s early professional beginnings, plus a few of his still unmatched records.
2. Fedegraphica – A Graphic Biography of the Genius of Roger Federer
Mark Hodgkinson
Publisher: Aurum Press (2016)
This graphic biography will give fans of King Roger vivid glimpses of his genius, as complemented by infographics and compelling snapshots. Aside from exploring his many achievements, it also serves as a guidebook for aspiring tennis players – those who want to study Federer’s techniques, serving patterns, and footwork. Most of all, it shows how the champion developed a discipline that allowed him to perform with great skill in the highest-pressure situations of his illustrious career.
Featuring rare interviews with Federer, his team, and loved ones, Fedegraphica effectively tells the story of how the Swiss champion overcame his young temperamental self, and developed into an absolute top rank contender in his thirties. The stunning photography helps readers to appreciate Federer’s sheer brilliance as he wins back-to-back titles, and why many admire him for his true greatness.
Fedegraphica is a moving portrait of an individual who many consider superhuman, but appears to be just as human as everyone under a more transparent lens.
3. Federesque
Mark Hodgkinson, Antoine Couvercelle
Publisher: Beyond the Lens Sarl (2018)
As one of the best coffee table books about a sports legend ever compiled, Federesque in all its elegance documents Federer’s career through the lens of award-winning photographer Antoine Couvercelle. Its emotional snapshots and each image’s story jump out of the pages, with journalist Mark Hodkinson’s riveting essays, as we follow Federer’s journey.
Every Federer enthusiast’s essential book pays homage to the king and accurately paints him as the humble, artistic, and emotional being that he is. Though not too privy about details, imploring only a few brushstroke captions to emboss the perfect images, this coffee table book is an excellent collection of on and off-court highlights that any tennis fan will truly appreciate.
4. The Circuit – A Tennis Odyssey
Rowan Ricardo Phillips
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (2018)
None other than American poet and artist Rowan Ricardo Phillips felt the great inspiration to pen a book about one of the most remarkable years of professional tennis tours. While not solely focused on Roger Federer, the 2017 season is accurately documented, and makes him and Rafael Nadal stand out as dominating figures in most Grand Slam tournaments that year.
From January to November – the winter of the Australian Open to the US Open’s fall, Phillips takes tennis fans on a coast-to-coast journey with great insights from the players themselves. The Circuit – A Tennis Odyssey, a winner of the 2019 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing, is collectively packaged in one lyrical piece that captures all the emotions and movements of the season, particularly that of Federer’s renaissance.
Coming out of a knee injury that saw him drop to number 16 in the world rankings, Federer won the Australian Open and Wimbledon that year, marking one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
Effectively chronicling the season, the book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the cultural context of the sport. It delves into the root of every player’s pathos and redemption, which are all told in the most paean-like manner.
5. Strokes of Genius
Amblin Television, Makemake, Rock Paper Scissors, The Tennis Channel (2018)
Executive Producers: Linda Carlson, Paul Davies, Mick Desmond, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Ken Solomon, Angus Wall, Jon Wertheim, Bob Whyley
“The key to a good rivalry is contrast.” Those words of American tennis legend, Chris Evert, couldn’t better describe what the world witnessed during the 2008 Wimbledon finals. Based on the acclaimed book by L. Jon Wertheim, the documentary gathers commentaries from past greats, including Evert herself, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, and Bjorn Borg -- as well as Federer and Nadal themselves, each deconstructing the anatomy of their iconic rivalries.
Blow-by-blow accounts of what transpired in what many consider the best tennis match ever played give viewers the best seat at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. Aside from flawlessly setting the epic battle between the number one and two-ranked players, the book also offers significant profile segments and elements of what makes tennis a perfect sport.
Strokes of Genius is a historical journal that encapsulates the Federer-Nadal rivalry and the various facets of tennis, from its science to its art, in the most vivid fashion. It’s an occasion to watch and witness, particularly how one legend passes the torch to another while vowing to get it back.
6. ROGER20WON: Twenty Grand Slams for Roger Federer
Australian Open TV (2019)
Counting up to Federer’s historic 20 Grand Slam titles, this Australian Open-produced documentary perfectly captures how the charismatic champion can bring on the waterworks for his most significant wins, and more.
In 2016, Federer withdrew from two majors and into a six-month vacation, prompting fans to wonder if he was considering retirement. What happened next is a testament to the player’s sheer brilliance and class, with three more titles in over a year to become the first in men’s singles to win 20 Grand Slam trophies.
Fans can witness the most spectacular highlights in Federer’s life and career, including his first Australian Open title in 2004 against Russian Marat Safin, the emergence of another formidable opponent in Novak Djokovic, and his extraordinary comeback from a six-month respite.
Perhaps, one of the most notable segments of the documentary is how the tragic loss of his friend and mentor, Australian Pete Carter, transformed Federer from being a hot-headed on-court player to a humble and disciplined professional.
However, when it comes to debating just who exactly is the greatest of all time, the spotlight does not just shine on Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Old footage of legendary Australian players like two-time Grand Slam winner Rod Laver; Roy Emerson (who won 12 Grand slam singles titles and 16 more in doubles); and the oldest Grand Slam winner at 37, Ken Rosewall, were also showcased in the film. These archival clips somehow set the benchmark for potential records that Federer can still break in his career.
7. Roger Federer: Everywhere is Home
ESPN (2019)
Executive Producer: Andy Tennant
Featuring highlights from Federer’s 2012 Latin America Tour, this ESPN documentary follows the champion for seven days, in five countries, for five exhibition matches against German Alexander Zverev, across 19,000 miles.
Initially touted as a promotional tour for tennis fans in the region, the film shows the 20-Grand Slam winner’s genuine charisma to the people of the world, and the friendship that developed between the young rookie and veteran player. However, it was one Buenos Aires fan who stood out from the rest: 107-year old Dorothea. With what might just be Federer’s most touching gesture to a fan, the champion met with the centenarian, who viewers also get to meet intimately and recognize as one of Federer’s biggest flag bearers.
Fans will also see the tour’s emotional impact on Federer, especially during their stop in Bogota, Colombia. On match day, protests were already mounting in other parts of the city, with an 8:00 p.m. curfew imposed by the government in the Kennedy, Ciudad Bolivar, and Bosa neighborhoods. The developments forced the organizers and the players to cancel the match for everyone’s safety, which left Federer all teared-up and comforted by Zverev in the players holding room.
The tour concludes in Mexico, with a huge audience of 42,517 tennis fans in attendance. At the time, it was the biggest turnout for any tennis match. The court was the centerpiece of a bullfighting stadium, and the beauty of the city -- along with the warmth of its people -- couldn’t help but stir the emotions of the Swiss Maestro once again, just like every other country he visits and eventually refers to as ‘home’.
8. Federer – The Definitive Biography (9th edition)
Chris Bowers
Publisher: John Blake Publishing (2021)
First published in 2006 and recently updated to its 9th edition, this Federer biography postulates some of the best facts and details on why Federer should be considered tennis’s all-time greatest. The journal does not solely focus on how the champion performs on court, sets records, and wins Grand Slam titles year after year. It also delves into how Federer truly is, off the court.
We catch glimpses of Federer’s youth, from being a ball boy to a young prodigy, who faced the first difficult challenge of his career when he was drafted by the International Tennis Federation at age 14, and had to be away from his family for his strict training schedule. From then on, unparalleled determination, hard work, and passion made Federer the king of the tennis world during his era. While Federer tries to keep his personal life away from the public eye, this biography gives readers a peek at what motivates the legend off the court.
Chris Bowers, who had followed Federer throughout his entire career, also interviewed the people who mattered in the champion’s life to develop his intimate portrait as an icon. Bowers continued to stay close to Federer for the latest edition as the Swiss champion won his 20th Grand Slam title, up to his most recent examination of the incredible legacy he will leave in tennis and sporting history.
9. Roger Federer: The Reunion
Filmgerberei (2021)
Executive Producer: Flavio Gerber
As viewers have gathered from the documentary Everywhere Is Home, the Swiss champion tends to develop a strong rapport with the people of the countries he has visited. When Roger Federer was four months old, his family lived in South Africa for three months. This life event motivated him to come back to South Africa for two exhibition matches, with none other than billionaire Bill Gates, South African TV host/comedian Trevor Noah, and his fiercest rival -- Rafael Nadal.
The Match In Africa 6 was set at Cape Town on the 7th of February 2020, with Federer and Gates winning the doubles match. Federer defeated Nadal 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 in the highest attendance ever recorded at a tennis match, with 51,954 fans raising $3.5 million to benefit the children of Africa.
Unlike most Federer documentaries, The Reunion offers viewers a different side of the Swiss Maestro; an innately philanthropic one that saw him establish a foundation to help push early education in Africa, without any help from an agent, nor an agenda to generate self-serving publicity. Ultimately, it blends humor and insightful quotes from its subjects, including Federer’s parents, who tell a story of the young champion from his youth, ultimately giving us a rare perspective of Federer’s true nature as a man and as a champion.
10. The Master: The Brilliant Career of Roger Federer
Christopher Clarey
Publisher: John Murray (2021)
While Chris Bowers’s biography is an excellent read, Christopher Clarey’s biography of the Swiss Maestro gives readers an all-access pass into the man himself, and all the aspects that contribute to his greatness.
If you have ever wondered how King Roger looks in the eyes of his biggest competitors -- Nadal, Djokovic, and Andy Roddick -- this book is for you. The veteran New York Times correspondent efficiently tells Federer’s story and journey in the tennis world, and liberally sprinkles it with nuggets of philosophy and principle to boot.
While Federer’s transformation from a teenage player filled with angst to a humble and charismatic champion is the primary theme of this list, Clarey takes things further. Here, readers get a backstage pass, where they read about the pivotal people, places, and memories that contributed to making Federer a true master of the sport.
Both personal and grand, The Master stirs up some of the most intriguing aspects of its subject’s life, including his life as a husband, father, businessman, and philanthropist. And if that isn’t enough, it also gives us one of the best tennis love stories ever told -- introducing us to Mika Federer as the centripetal force that keeps King Roger anchored at the center.
Comments