Roger Federer Won Olympic Gold, Too...
On the heels of tennis great Roger Federer's not-so-surprising impending retirement announcement, let's not forget his respectful Olympic career as well, amongst his many highlight career stats.
Federer is a four-time Olympian, having competed first at Sydney 2000 and then at the following three Games: Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012. Except for those 2000 Olympics, where he only played singles, Federer also took part in doubles.
It was in doubles where he secured his only Olympic gold, as he and partner Stan Wawrinka defeated Swedes Simon Aspelin and Tomas Johansson in four sets in the final match. Ecstatic with the win, Federer shared, "It is like a fantastic dream come true, I feel really happy to win the gold medal....I really feel different, as it is for my country. It is different from the Grand Slam, where I did it for just myself".
Federer is a four-time Olympian, having competed first at Sydney 2000 and then at the following three Games: Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012. Except for those 2000 Olympics, where he only played singles, Federer also took part in doubles.
It was in doubles where he secured his only Olympic gold, as he and partner Stan Wawrinka defeated Swedes Simon Aspelin and Tomas Johansson in four sets in the final match. Ecstatic with the win, Federer shared, "It is like a fantastic dream come true, I feel really happy to win the gold medal....I really feel different, as it is for my country. It is different from the Grand Slam, where I did it for just myself".
Roger Federer (r) won doubles tennis gold with Stan Wawrinka at Beijing 2008. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Federer's weighty presence at the Games was evident through his selection as Team Switzerland's flagbearer at both Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, but he demurred from doing so at London 2012 in deference to giving "someone else a chance".
Federer would finally win a singles medal in his fourth try, at London 2012, a silver medal. His straight sets-loss to Andy Murray in the final came after an 'epic' four-hour match in the semifinals against Juan del Potro, which he admitted drained him. In Sydney, he had come close to the podium, finishing a disappointing fourth in a bronze medal match defeat to Arnaud di Pasquale (who?).
A knee injury knocked Federer from Rio 2016, as well as from Tokyo 2020. Who knows how he might have burnished his Olympic legacy at either of those two Games?
Congrats on a great career and for the Olympic memories, Roger...you'll be missed.
Federer would finally win a singles medal in his fourth try, at London 2012, a silver medal. His straight sets-loss to Andy Murray in the final came after an 'epic' four-hour match in the semifinals against Juan del Potro, which he admitted drained him. In Sydney, he had come close to the podium, finishing a disappointing fourth in a bronze medal match defeat to Arnaud di Pasquale (who?).
A knee injury knocked Federer from Rio 2016, as well as from Tokyo 2020. Who knows how he might have burnished his Olympic legacy at either of those two Games?
Congrats on a great career and for the Olympic memories, Roger...you'll be missed.
 Roger Federer was Team Switzerland's flagbearer at Athens 2004 & Beijing 2008 (shown) (Getty Images) |  Roger Federer (l) won Olympic singles medal at London 2012 (SI) |
p.s. It sure is the end of a tennis era, as Federer quickly follows another popular legend into retirement...
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