Roger Federer is in uncharted waters and could become the only man in tennis history to win two Majors after the age of 35.
In the twilight of his career, the Swiss player entered his 50th Grand Slam quarter-final after a straight-sets victory against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov. Since his maiden win in 2003, Federer has finished outside the last eight only once at Wimbledon.
It’s exceptionally rare for him not to make the quarter-finals of a Slam.
Although Novak Djokovic gets into the second week of Slams as much as Federer, his consistency would need to outlast the Swiss over the next five years. Most former champions have petered out after 30.
Federer wins after 30
After his 2012 Wimbledon win, Federer seemed to go through a title drought. However, with his win at the 2017 Australian Open, Federer became the first player since Ken Rosewall to win a Grand Slam in the Open era after the age of 35.
A win at Wimbledon could seal his longevity as a player.
Federer has played in nearly every Slam since the start of his career
In his nearly two-decade career, Federer has missed only four Grand Slam events. Even though he’s missed three over the last two years because of injuries, he’s still remarkably consistent.
For a stretch of over 16 years, Federer played in every Slam, a total of 65 Majors in a row. This year’s Wimbledon marks his 70th Grand Slam event.
Fernando Verdasco (57) , Feliciano López (62), Tomas Berdych (52) and Novak Djokovic (51) are the only players who come close without any hiccups to date. However, among them, Djokovic is the only player to have won a Slam.
He makes it to the end of the tournament
In addition to his quarter-final record, Federer is alarmingly efficient getting to the finals. He’s made it to 28 finals out of his 69 appearances.
Between his 2004 and 2012 Wimbledon victories, or for a stretch of 33 Grand Slams, he has made it to the finals a staggering 22 times.