Roger Federer had announced his arrival a few years earlier, when he beat his idol Pete Sampras at Wimbledon 2001 as a 19-year-old. He then went on to establish himself as the top player in men’s tennis by winning Wimbledon in 2003 and the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open in 2004.
For most, that right there would’ve been a glorious career. But Federer was just getting started, he was on the cusp of one of the most staggering streak’s in the sport’s history.
It started with Wimbledon 2005. The Swiss was a two-time defending champion at The Championships and went on to beat Andy Roddick to make it three in a row. And that marked the beginning of a stunning period in which Federer reached the final in 18 out of 19 consecutive Majors.
Of the 20 Grand Slam titles he finished his career with, 12 came between Wimbledon 2005 and Australian Open 2010. During this run, he claimed four Wimbledon titles, four US Opens, three Australian Opens and his only French Open triumph.
Here’s a closer look at that Federer streak from 2005 to ‘10:
