He will go down in history as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, but for the first time in an astonishing 25 years, Roger Federer has stepped out of the official ATP Singles rankings.
The 40-year-old Swiss legend first appeared in the standings in September 1997 as a feisty 16-year-old, but has not played since crashing into the fourth round of Wimbledon last year due to a persistent knee injury.
The ranking is based on a player’s results over the past 52 weeks, and since he hasn’t played, he hasn’t earned any points – meaning he’s not now one of the 2,068 male singles players in the world with an official ranking .
He held the record at number one for the most weeks (310) until Novak Djokovic broke that record and had a run of 237 consecutive weeks when he became number one.
Roger Federer after winning the Wimbledon Boys Singles title in 1998
Federer plays against Lorenzo Sonego in the 2021 Wimbledon tournament
It’s already been an amazing career, with 103 ATP Singles titles, 20 Grand Slams and an Olympic silver medal – but don’t worry Federer fans, he’s not done yet.
‘I hope I can come back one more time. I missed it here,” Federer said last week as he returned to Wimbledon for an emotional ceremony to celebrate 100 years of center court.
Roger Federer returned to Wimbledon this year as part of the centenary celebrations on center court, along with other former champions
He admitted it was ‘awkward’ to be on a track that has given him eight Wimbledon titles without playing, but he was grateful for the memories.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play a lot of games on this pitch… but it’s great to be here with… all the other champions. This court has given me my biggest wins and my biggest losses,” Federer said.
The Swiss star was seen laughing at the man who took his number one ranking record; the man who would be crowned champion for the seventh time: Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic (left) and Roger Federer (right) laughing during the 100th celebration
Federer has had multiple surgeries on his knee after dropping out in the fourth round of Wimbledon last year, but he plans to return to the field for the Laver Cup (a tournament between Team Europe and Team World) at the end of September.
A return to the ATP Tour is currently planned for home fans in Basel, pending fitness, which begins October 24.
Roger Federer (left) congratulates rival Rafael Nadal (right) for winning Wimbledon in 2008
Longtime friend and foe on the pitch, Rafael Nadal, expressed his grief at a Wimbledon press conference earlier in the tournament that Federer was not there.
“My biggest rival… all the things we’ve shared on the pitch together are hard to describe,” he said.
“I personally miss him (Federer) in the tennis tour and tennis obviously misses him, tournaments, fans, everyone.
“I think Roger Federer is important in every tournament. Not just Wimbledon. He’s a much-missed player in every tennis event, without a doubt,” Nadal said.
Roger Federer reacts after losing to Polish player Hubert Burkacz in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2021. He has not played since and has now disappeared from the rankings
Fans flocked to social media to show their disappointment. Federer has disappeared from the rankings, with many describing it as “sad”, while another shared what the last Top 100 without Federer was like.
It was definitely a blast from the past!
Federer was not the only player to lose his ranking – the ladies Serena Williams also dropped out, but only because the ATP decided not to award ranking points for Wimbledon due to the situation between Russia and Ukraine.
That said, it’s the first time since January 5, 1998 that neither Federer nor Williams have made it to the WTA/ATP top 100 – a remarkable feat for the legendary pair.
Three of the greatest tennis players of recent decades: Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the 2013 US Open
The decision by the world tennis governing body not to award ranking points for Wimbledon came after the tournament chose to ban Russian and Belarusian tennis players due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Djokovic, despite winning the tournament, slipped from number three in the rankings to number seven, while Kyrgios was denied the chance to rise from 40 to number 16 – instead dropping to 45.
Roger Federer in action at Wimbledon in 1998 for the boys title
The Wimbledon champion did not miss when asked about the decision in May.
“I have the feeling that the ATP could have found a middle ground as well. They could have scrapped this year’s points, as they did, but they could have frozen last year’s points, just like they did during the pandemic,” Djokovic said.
“In this way it is very unfair to me and other players who did well at Wimbledon last year.”