Roger Federer 2005 season: In light of Carlos Alcaraz comparison after Laver Cup heroics, a look at one of the greatest years in men's tennis
The 2024 Laver Cup ended on Sunday, 22 September, with Team Europe winning their fifth title against Team World. In the deciding singles match, Europe's Carlos Alcaraz prevailed over Team World's Taylor Fritz in straight sets to win the title for his team on his Laver Cup debut.
After the 21-year-old Spaniard won the title for his team, comparisons were made with Swiss legend Roger Federer in his prime. Members of Team World jokingly nicknamed the Spaniard "Fed 05", referring to the Swiss player's 2005 season. It remains one of the most successful seasons in the history of men's tennis.
The Swiss legend came out of the 2005 season with an astounding 81-4 record, with 11 tour-level titles. He had a terrific start to the year, winning titles in Doha, Miami, Indian Wells, Dubai, and Rotterdam. However, he could not defend his title at the Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Marat Safin in the semifinals.
In the clay season, Federer claimed the German Open but failed to win the French Open, losing to archrival Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. However, he regrouped and had a great grass court season, winning his third title in Halle, defeating Safin in the final to avenge his defeat in Melbourne. He then won his third Wimbledon title, beating Andy Roddick in the final.
Federer ended the season with another successful stint on the North American hardcourt, winning the Cincinnati Open, followed by his second consecutive US Open, defeating Andre Agassi in the final. He finished off the year with another hardcourt title in Thailand, winning against Andy Murray. The only final he lost in 2005 was the title clash at the ATP Masters Cup, losing to David Nalbandian.
Apart from the three losses above, the one other match the Swiss lost that season was to Richard Gasquet in the quarterfinal of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Both Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz had a great start to their Laver Cup campaigns
Roger Federer led the charge for Team Europe in the inaugural edition of the Laver Cup, in Prague in 2017. The former World No. 1 won his singles match against Sam Querry on Day 2, and then later clinched the title for his team on Day 3, winning against Nick Kyrgios in one of the best matches in Laver Cup history.
The Swiss player went on to score 18 points in his Laver Cup career, compiling an unbeaten 6-0 record in singles and a 2-4 record in doubles. He was part of teams that won three titles, from 2017 to 2019. At the 2022 Laver Cup, one of the greatest players to play the sport decided to bring down the curtains on his career, with a doubles match with his legendary rival Rafael Nadal being his swansong.
In 2024, Carlos Alcaraz had a shaky start on his Laver Cup debut as the Spaniard lost the opening doubles match along with Alexander Zverev on Day 1. However, the young star turned things around, winning his singles match against Ben Shelton on Day 2. He then partnered up with Casper Ruud on day 3 and defeated the more fancied doubles team of Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, later clinching the title by winning the final singles match in front of a packed Uber Arena in Berlin.