Federer becomes the oldest tennis player to reach world number one
Defeating Robin Haase 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the quarter-finals of the Rotterdam Open, the 36-year-old tennis player set a new record by taking the top spot in the ATP rankings.
14 years after becoming world number one for the first time, Roger Federer relived the old feelings when surpassing Rafael Nadal to hold the highest ATP points. At 36 years and 195 days, the Swiss "Express Train" surpassed Andre Agassi - who was 33 years and 133 days when he became world number one in September 2003.
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Federer waved to the crowd in joy after his victory over Haase. Photo:AFP. |
Federer said the achievement was a "dream come true" for himself. He said: "This is what I've been waiting for the most at 36, almost 37. When you get older, you have to work even harder. You have to fight to take this position back from people who have worked hard to get it."
"Being world number one is the ultimate goal in tennis. It's been an amazing journey to finally get there - where I got my first wildcard in 1998. It means a lot," said Federer.
In the match against Haase, things got tough for Federer when he lost the first set. However, the Swiss quickly regained his composure and won easily, dropping only two games in the next two sets. In the semi-finals, he will meet the winner of the match between Andreas Seppi and Daniil Medvedev.
After the match ended, Federer sat down, wiped away tears, and made a speech to the crowd in the Netherlands. Afterwards, he received a commemorative cup for this rare event.
Federer last held the world number one ranking in October 2012. When the ATP rankings are updated on Monday, the 36-year-old will have spent five years and 106 days returning to the top spot – the longest wait in history.
Federer is just 13 titles away from Jimmy Connors' record of 109 ATP titles. That will be his next target.
