Roger Federer to be immortalized by Swiss National Museum as part of historical series
Roger Federer has long been the flag-bearer - both literally and figuratively - of his nation Switzerland for a long time.
The Swiss legend carried the flag of his nation at both the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. He was also offered to do so for the 2012 London Olympics but declined as he wanted another Swiss to get a chance.
Roger Federer is arguably the most popular Swiss-born citizen of the last two decades. His fame has risen to such an extent that Switzerland is sometimes identified as ‘Roger Federer’s country’.
It's not a surprise, then, that the Swiss National Museum has decided to honor the 20-time Grand Slam champion with a commemorative piece of literature.
The Swiss National Museum, in partnership with historian Benedikt Meyer, has compiled a 100-part chronicle of Switzerland. The dossier takes the readers right through the rich history and culture of the nation, but most notably for tennis fans, it ends with the story of Roger Federer.
Roger Federer is a bit like the king of Switzerland: Meyer
Even though Roger Federer plays an individual sport, he has managed to win quite a lot while representing his nation. Apart from his 103 singles titles (which include a record 20 Grand Slams), he also has three Hopman Cup victories and one Davis Cup title with Stan Wawrinka to his name. Perhaps most significantly though, the Swiss maestro has won two Olympics medals for Switzerland - a silver in singles and a gold in doubles.
“The king of the tennis court was always a bit the king of Switzerland: Roger Federer kept immersing the country in royal splendor, thus improving its image,” Benedikt Meyer wrote.
Not only has Roger Federer achieved immense glory on the tennis courts, he has also maintained a pristine image off it. Federer is someone who is viewed as almost flawless; a symbol of all things good, not only for tennis but also for Switzerland.
Meyer also wrote that the image of Switzerland had taken a beating after the end of the Cold War. Several incidents involving financial scandals, money laundering, banking scams and tax-evading corporations had tarnished the reputation of the country. But then came a messiah in the form of Roger Federer, and everything changed.
“Roger Federer was a historic stroke of luck for Switzerland. He and then Wawrinka single-handedly brought the country to the front pages of the world with good news,” Meyer added.
The importance of Australian Open 2017 in Roger Federer's legacy
Roger Federer’s 18th Grand Slam will go down in history as one of his greatest achievements. Not only did he stage a stunning comeback from injury, but he also produced some of his finest tennis to beat his biggest rivals and lift the Norman Brooks Cup.
At the start of 2017 Federer had not won a Grand Slam in nearly five years, and had been written off by most. Yet, he went on to beat the likes of Berdych, Nishikori, Wawrinka and of course his arch-rival Rafael Nadal to win the Australian Open at nearly 36 years of age.
Meyer talked about that triumph too, mentioning how 'heroic' Federer looked during the campaign.
“The old master, already written off, fought back into the spotlight in 2017 with an elegance that is second to none. Federer looked stoic and often perfect on the pitch. It gave him the appearance of an ancient hero.”