2009 started with another very tough, five-set loss to Nadal at the Australian Open, but Roger more than made up for it at Roland Garros, where, with some help from Robin Soderling, who eliminated Nadal, Roger earned the only title that had seemed possibly beyond his grasp. A few weeks later, Roger recaptured his Wimbledon title and broke the all-time record for Grand Slam singles titles won by a male player.
2009 was also a landmark year in Roger's personal life, as he married his long-time girlfriend, Mirka, and became the father of twin daughters. In the time he's not devoting to family life and tennis, Roger continues his work to provide opportunities and promote sport for underprivileged children in South Africa, and he can be counted on to respond generously to major crises as he did in contributing to relief efforts for the Asian tsunami of 2005 and Hurricane Katrina.
Basic Facts
Date of Birth: 8/8/1981
Nation: Switzerland
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 177 lbs
Turned Pro: 1998
Best Singles Grand Slams: Won Australian Open in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2010; Wimbledon in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009; US Open in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008; Roland Garros in 2009.
Plays: Right-handed, with a one-handed backhand.
Basic Style: All-court.
Greatest Strengths: Brilliant shotmaker, with exceptional versatility, touch, and accuracy, especially on the forehand. Capable of great power on groundstrokes and very good power on serves, with excellent placement. Movement extremely quick and smooth. Comfortable on every part of the court.
Room for Improvement: No major weaknesses. Roger finds high backhands difficult, as does almost everyone. His sharpness often wanes for a while during a match, but he usually restores it when he needs to.
