The Baseline Top 5: Federer's Roland Garros moments
The Swiss star has earned his place among the greats at Roland Garros.
Roger Federer might not be as prolific a title winner at Roland Garros as he is at the other three majors, but there is no doubt that he’s made his mark at the clay-court Grand Slam.
As he gets ready to play the major for the first time since 2015, here’s a look back at some of his memorable moments on the terre battue.
1
Where It All Started
A few months after winning his first career singles title, Federer advanced to his first Slam quarterfinal at the 2001 French Open. Unseeded, the 19-year-old pulled off a 9-7 fifth set win against Sargis Sargsian in the second round en route to the quarterfinals where world No. 2 Alex Corretja stopped him. The run put Federer into the Top 15 for the first time.
2
The First Final
It took him until his eighth appearance in Paris in 2006 to reach the championship match, but a formidable foe was waiting for him there. Rafael Nadal was defending his Roland Garros title for the first time in his career, and has since gone on to win 11. Federer pushed Nadal to four sets, including a fourth-set tiebreaker, but couldn't force a fifth.
3
The Championship
The biggest surprise of 2009 was Nadal’s loss to Robin Soderling in the fourth round of the French Open as the Spaniard was aiming for his fifth consecutive title. With him out of the way, all eyes turned to Federer as the favorite, but would he be able to overcome the pressure and capitalize on his best opportunity to win? The Swiss answered those questions in emphatic fashion, defeating Soderling in the final to clinch the career Grand Slam and tie Pete Sampras’ record of 14 major titles.
4
The Rallies
Federer’s trek to the 2009 final nearly hit a couple of major roadblocks. In the fourth round, he had to rally from two-sets-to-love down against his good friend Tommy Haas. Escaping that match, he had to pull off a similar feat two rounds later against a player who had been looking nearly unbeatable. Juan Martin del Potro went up two sets to one, but Federer managed to eke out another tight win.
5
The Streak-Buster
During the first half of 2011, Novak Djokovic made every tournament he competed in look like he was just having a hit on his private court, posting a run of dominance rarely seen in the sport. He appeared perfectly poised to win his third career major at that year’s French Open, until he ran into a man that knew a thing or two about dominating. Federer stopped Djokovic’s charge in the semifinals to reach his fifth career final at Roland Garros.
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