Gallery Highlight: ‘Game, Set, Match’ The Mighty Federer

Qatar’s sporting legacy is decades deep, and the international events varied. From football, to horse riding and gymnastics, sports fans have become accustomed to organising their yearly calendars around highly anticipated annual events. The Qatar ExxonMobil Open (ATP Qatar Open) is one tournament that has kept local and regional fans of tennis coming back for more since its inaugural edition in 1993.

World-renowned tennis stars have graced the outdoor hard courts of the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, year on year. Legends like Germany’s Boris Becker, the Czech Republic’s Petr Korda and Morocco’s Younes El Aynaoui have been crowned champions in past editions; but perhaps the name most synonymous with tennis, a 3-time winner of the Open, is ‘The Swiss Maestro’, Roger Federer.

The balletic grace that Federer brings to the sport seems effortless. It conceals the grit, hard work and sacrifice of this single-minded champion. He combines his talent and astonishing record with a famously charismatic personality. So popular is his demeanour, that American player Andy Roddick is quoted as describing Federer’s style as an ‘artistic, poetic, beautiful thing’ – after having lost three Wimbledon finals to the Swiss superstar.

Federer’s wins are amongst the top-ranking in the world, including 20 Grand Slam men’s singles championships and 28 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Masters victories. In 2017, aged 35, he became the oldest men’s Wimbledon champion in the professional era.

Federer is not only widely considered to be the greatest tennis player of all time – his generous sportsmanship makes him one of sport’s most admired figures. For the last 20 years, the Roger Federer Foundation has supported educational and sports projects for children in stages of early learning, across countries in southern Africa and Federer’s home, Switzerland. The foundation has also donated millions of dollars in response to natural disasters and global crises – such as the COVID-19 pandemic – to help disadvantaged children and their families.

The signed tennis racquet (above) was used by Federer at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2011, where he beat Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko to seize his third Qatar ExxonMobil Open title (2005, 2006, 2011).

This tennis shirt was also signed by Federer, and presented by him to Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Plan your visit today to see these items in QOSM’s Hall of Athletes, alongside other objects from local and international sporting greats.