Roger Federer

Roger Federer (born August 8, 1981 in Basel, Switzerland) is a highly talented Swiss professional tennis player who, in 2004, became the World No. 1 in tennis and the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three out of four Grand Slam events in the same year. As of 2005, he is the dominant active player of his era.

Biography

Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Robert and Lynette Federer. He grew up 10 minutes from Basel proper, in suburban Münchenstein.

Related Topics:
Basel - Switzerland - Münchenstein

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His parents met while his father was on a business trip to South Africa for a Basel-based chemical company for which they both worked. Ciba Specialty Chemicals was spun out from the pharmaceutical company Ciba-Geigy, in January 1997, when Ciba merged with Sandoz to form the pharmaceutical giant Novartis, in late 1996. Lynette was born and raised in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa. Lynette no longer works at the company, but is a manager at the Roger Federer Foundation. Robert is still with the Ciba Specialty Chemicals, in sales.

Related Topics:
South Africa - Ciba Specialty Chemicals - Ciba-Geigy - Sandoz - Novartis - 1996 - Kempton Park - Gauteng - Roger Federer Foundation

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Roger has an elder sister, Diana, who is a nurse, and lives in the Basel area. He speaks three languages (German, French and English) fluently and conducts press conferences in all of them.

Related Topics:
Nurse - German - French - English

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Federer spends his off-court time playing cards, cricket, ping pong, other sports and sitting on the beach, currently resides in Oberwil, Switzerland, and is dating former WTA player and fellow Swiss Miroslava Vavrinec (Mirka), who retired from the game in 2002 after a foot injury. The two met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Related Topics:
Oberwil - WTA - Miroslava Vavrinec - 2000 Sydney Olympics

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He co-established the Roger Federer Foundation in December 2003. Its goals include funding projects that benefit disadvantaged children, primarily in South Africa. In January 2005, he encouraged efforts from tennis players for the Tsunami-affected people, saying he would play as many matches as possible in tournaments organized to raise funds for the Tsunami victims and auctioned off his autographed rackets to raise funds for UNICEF's relief operations.

Related Topics:
South Africa - Tsunami - UNICEF

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Federer also launched a fragrance and cosmetics line called RF Cosmetics in October of 2003.

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