| October 10, 2024 | by Vishakha Khandelwal courtesy of ATP Tour https://www.atptour.com//en/news/federer-shanghai-2024-flashback |
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The former World No. 1 and 103-time tour-level titlist won the ATP Masters 1000 event twice in his illustrious career and finished with a 23-6 record at the tournament in China.
First Appearance In 2010 Federer had competed in Shanghai earlier in his career at the Tennis Masters Cup. But this was his first appearance in the city competing in the Masters 1000 event, which started in 2009. On his debut in 2010, he reached the final without dropping a set and finished runner-up. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinal, before losing 3-6 2-6 to Andy Murray in the championship match.
Clinches First Title In 2014 Federer came into the tournament after a surprise loss to Marin Cilic in the semifinals of the US Open. Making his fourth appearance in Shanghai, he dropped his first and only set of the tournament in a memorable second-round win against Leonardo Mayer. The Swiss, on the verge of an exit, saved five match points against the Argentine in that match. He later set a semifinal clash against the two-time defending champion and World No. 1 at the time, Novak Djokovic. Producing one of his best displays of attacking tennis, the Swiss legend upended Djokovic 6-4 6-4. In the final, he was tested by Gilles Simon, who pushed him to the limit. Eventually, Federer won 7-6 (6), 7-6 (2).
With the victory, he captured his 23rd Masters 1000 title. "I feel unbelievable prestige to win this event. Especially putting my hands on the trophy for the first time is a good feeling, I must say," said Federer.
Triumphant again in 2017 Three years after his first title, Federer repeated his near-perfect performance and won a second crown in Shanghai. In one of his best seasons in the latter stages of his career, the Swiss beat Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-3 in the final. He dropped only one set all tournament in his semifinal match against Juan Martin del Potro. With the win, Federer secured his 27th ATP Masters 1000 title and claimed his 700th match victory on hard courts.
Federer Takes the Train The 28-time Masters champion is hugely popular in China, and he surprised some lucky fans by taking the Shanghai Metro to Qi Zhong Tennis Centre in 2017. "I grew up on public transport when I was younger in Switzerland," he said. "I used to take either tram, train, or bus to practise on a daily basis, and then also a lot of the train until about 20 years old, going to tournaments even to Italy, even internationally. So for me it's something very normal."
The Legend Returns The Swiss legend came back to Shanghai in 2023, one year after his retirement in September 2022. He received a huge welcome from the crowd. He was presented with an Icon Athlete Award by the tournament as a celebration of his storied career. The then 42-year-old participated in a Q&A session with WTA star Li Na and the No. 1 Chinese player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Zhang Zhizhen. "I feel like I got the most incredible support here in Shanghai and in China. I've been very fortunate to play here for so many years," he shared.
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