Roger Federer's 5 remarkable records at the Dubai Open
The Dubai Open holds a special place for Roger Federer. It was at this tournament last year that the Swiss maestro lifted his much-awaited 100th career singles title to join American Jimmy Connors (109) as the only men in the Open Era to do so.
Federer opened his 2020 season with a run to the semifinal at the Australian Open, where he fell in straight sets to eventual winner Novak Djokovic. However, that was not before Federer achieved a few milestones at Melbourne Park, the most prominent of them being that he became the first player in the Open Era to win matches in four different decades with his first round win over Steve Johnson.
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Following some discomfiture in his right knee, the 20-time Grand Slam champion underwent arthroscopic surgery in his native Switzerland. The recovery period for the same would entail Federer being out of action till at least the grass stint of the season, which means that he will not defend his title in Dubai this year.
The Dubai Open has been a favorite hunting ground for Federer over the years. Let us have a look at the 38-year-old's five unique records at the tournament.
#1 Most titles (8)
Having failed to reach the title round in his first two appearances at the tournament in 2001-02, Federer beat Jiri Novak in the 2003 final to win his first Dubai Open title.
The following year, Federer returned to successfully defend his title, beating Feliciano Lopez in three sets. In the process, he became the first player in the tournament's 11-year-history to win in back-to-back years.
With further title runs in 2005, 2007, 2012, 2014-15 and 2019, Federer's 8 titles is the most at the Dubai Open by a proverbial country mile.
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