Roger Federer’s record at the ATP Finals speaks for itself, with a remarkable six victories at the year-end tournament.
Federer holds the record for the most ATP Finals appearances and he was consistently successful at the tournament.
The Swiss star won the tournament in three different locations, lifting the trophy in Houston, Shanghai and London between 2003 and 2011.
During a 2005 match with Gaston Gaudio, Federer hit a tournament first that has never been achieved before or since.
Roger Federer hit a double bagel at the ATP Finals in 2005
Federer won the ATP Finals in four out of five years between 2003 and 2007, but he still managed to make tournament history on the year he didn’t taste success.
Federer dominated Gaston Gaudio in the ATP Finals semi-final, rushing to an incredible 6-0, 6-0 victory in Shanghai.
Gaudio admitted afterward in his press conference that he couldn’t wait to get off the court, such was the dominance of Federer.
“I’m sad about it. I’m so disappointed,” Gaudio explained at his press conference. “But what can you do? It happens in life. There are things a little bit worse than this sometimes in life.”
The 2004 Roland Garros champion added: “Well, most of the players in the ATP, they’re beaten before the match against him.”
Federer’s dominance at the tournament was ended at the final by David Nalbandian, after a thrilling five-set classic in Shanghai.
Gaston Gaudio’s baffling prediction about Roger Federer in 2000
Gaudio’s humiliating defeat at the hands of Federer was only made worse by an eyebrow-raising prediction he made about Federer in 2000.
The Argentine was none too impressed by the future superstar as a youngster and even went so far as to call him ‘terrible’.
“He’ll never be number 1 in the world. He can’t hit a backhand, how is he going to be number 1 in the world? I don’t think he’s any good.”
Of course, the statement could not be further from the truth. Not only did Federer spend 310 weeks as the world number one, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, but he is widely considered one of the greatest players to ever play the sport.
The Argentine did, however, see the funny side to his appalling prediction many years after making the statement.
“How wrong I was! The best ever, in history!” he explained years after his prediction on the Swiss superstar.
