Home » Roger Federer Wins Australian Open, 1st Man to Win 20 Grand Slams

Roger Federer Wins Australian Open, 1st Man to Win 20 Grand Slams

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer – whose mother is a South African expat – has won the Australian Open… becoming the first male tennis player to win 20 Grand Slams! Thirty-six year old Federer beat 29-year-old Croatian Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. The Australian Open tweeted: “Back to back. 20 Grand Slams. Six Australian Open […]

By SAPeople
28-01-18 17:38
in Fab South African Stuff

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer – whose mother is a South African expat – has won the Australian Open… becoming the first male tennis player to win 20 Grand Slams!

Source: Australian Open

Thirty-six year old Federer beat 29-year-old Croatian Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

The Australian Open tweeted: “Back to back. 20 Grand Slams. Six Australian Open titles. Unbelievably amazing.”

Federer credits much of his success on and off the court to his mom, Lynette, and to the family’s trips back to her homeland of South Africa when he was growing up.

According to Roger’s dad, Robert, Roger inherited his athletic gifts from his mom… whom he admits is a better tennis player and golfer than him. Lynette (née Durand) grew up in Joburg and was a top athlete at school in several sports, including hockey which she finally had to quit because of leg injuries.

Swiss-born Robert met Lynette during a holiday to South Africa. They married in 1973 and moved to Basel, Switzerland… where they had two children, Roger and his older sister Diana.

Roger credits the family trips back home to SA for helping inspire him to start his Roger Federer Foundation when he was just 22. At the time he’d started winning money on the tennis tour, and wanted to share with those less fortunate. Watch videos with his Roger Federer’s mother here.

Watch Roger Federer: “The Fairy Tale continues…”