A Public Figure beyond Tennis

Apart from his extraordinary success on the tennis court, Roger Federer is a legend of sport far beyond anything that tennis has ever seen. His story can be said to rival that of the great Williams sisters. He was not born in a poor country or to poor parents or to a marginalized community. However he has been a transformative figure in the whole of tennis as well sports in general. The records are heavily in his favor, having just won his sixteenth singles grand slam cup at the expense of the ridiculously overhyped Andy Murray. His ardent fans point to the fact that apart from being a remarkable tennis player, Roger is also an extraordinary human being whose life is an inspiration to everyone. This article is a meager attempt to describe the towering background and achievement of such a great figure. It is neither definitive nor exhaustive but it is a great start to exploring the life and times of the great that is Roger Federer. The tennis has been explored to death thus my decision to incorporate some of the other aspects of his rich life in order to create some balance.

Birth and Education

Roger Federer was born in Switzerland in a small town called Binningen that is based not too far off Basel. His father shared an identical name with Roger and his mother was one Lynette Durant who originated in South Africa. This means that Roger Federer is both Swiss and South African but is normally associated with Switzerland even when he is entering tennis tournaments. Having grown up in Switzerland, a country with a rich heritage or multi lingual usage, he acquired an affinity for most of the major European languages including German, French and English. He is able to speak the localized dialects as well.
It is said that he was raised as a catholic and regularly associates himself with the religion on an informal basis. Although he was required to undertake military service as a Swiss citizen, Roger Federer was in the end excused since he has a long standing back problem. One has to wonder how a great tennis player in one of the most rigorous activities possible can be excused from military service while continuing to play and win great tournaments. Perhaps it was thought that it would not be conducive to ruin his career just for the sake of a military that really does not have too much conflict in a neutral country. Either way the facts indicate that Roger Federer would have been willing to undertake his obligations as necessary.

The Roger Federer Family

Recently Roger Federer married Mirka Vavrinec. She had been his long term girlfriend and personal manager throughout his tennis career. Mirka is a competent tennis player and she has been listed on the Women’s Tennis Association. They met at the Olympic Games in Sidney around the year two thousand when they were both competing for their respective nations. Despite her quite respectable career, Mirka was forced to retire in the year two thousand two due to a foot related injury. Her main role in Roger Federer’s life was to act as companion privately and as a public relations manager in public.
As was expected for a long time, they were eventually married in the year two thousand and nine in a private ceremony. Despite the almost obsessive media interest, the wedding details were never publicly proclaimed apart from a brief media statement to the effect that they were both very happy. At the time Mirka was heavily pregnant and she did in fact give birth to twins on the twenty third day of July. They decided to call their children Myla Rose and Charlene Riva respectively.
Although it was thought the marriage and consequent birth of his children would hinder Roger’s concentration on his tennis career, he has since continued to win grand slams and is currently the top ranked player in the world as well as the defending singles champion for Wimbledon and the Australian Open. Roger Federer has recently talked about the changing priorities in his life but has also restated his firm commitment to the sport as well as alluding to the fact that he is still enjoying himself. This would indicate that barring a major injury, retirement is not yet on the cards.

Roger the Charity Organizer

Roger Federer is undoubtedly one of the wealthiest sportsmen ever and he seems to be keenly aware of his position of privilege. It is not surprising that he is often involved in various charities and philanthropic initiatives. The cynics might say that as a major celebrity, Roger will know the value of holding a starving African child in front of the world’s media. It may have worked for Bono and Madonna but the consensus seems to be that Roger’s generosity is genuine and he really wants to help people who may be in a much worse situation than he could ever possibly encounter.
The Roger Federer foundation came into existence in the year two thousand and three. The main objective and vision that Roger had in mind was to set up a facility that would improve the lives of people who did not have as much as the rich sports people that he normally interacted with. He was also interested in developing sports beyond the elite world that most tennis players are accustomed to. Although the interests are typical of a tennis player, it is also important to recognize that Roger Federer has been trying to give back to communities which he is not particularly affiliated to. It shows a maturity that has enabled him to become one of the most respected sportsmen that has ever lived.
The examples of Roger Federer’s charitable work are numerous. Their variety and scope speak of the great man’s reach to parts of the world for which tennis is but a distant elite occupation. At the United States Open Championships in the year two thousand and five, Roger decided to auction his tennis racquet with the proceeds going to the victims of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The cynic in me would say that he had no choice given the situation and the country he was playing in. However the pragmatist in me realizes that there were hundreds and even thousands of people who could have helped but chose not to do so. Therefore we have to give Roger praise for hearing the call when it came.
In the context of his charity work, it is not surprising that Roger Federer was appointed a Goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It is easy to be skeptical and note that the Brangelina international brand has been here before. However it must be recognized that this was also in recognition of the man’s work and his ability to mobilize people across the world for the purpose of good causes.
Tennis players travel a great deal but Roger Federer has also found the time to visit some of the most deprived placed in the world in an effort to raise awareness and also to mobilize charitable contributions. He visited his part time homeland of South Africa as well as the poor people of Tamil Nadu who were afflicted by tragedy when an earthquake caused terrible damage. Most recently we have seen Roger Federer teaming up with fellow tennis players to contribute to the charitable efforts for Haiti in the wake of the recent disaster.

Truly Great People Have Scars

Roger Federer is not perfect, although many of his fans have cited his tennis as some of the best that they have ever seen on any court. When he won the career grand slam and overtook the impressive records of Pete Sampras his greatness was confirmed. However even he is prone to occasional wobbles. I felt a slight irritation with the whole Wimbledon shoes and stars saga. One almost felt that a tennis player owned a tournament. Venus Williams had a similarly impressive record there but she did not go to great lengths to lord it over the tournament. Yes her sister is a diva in her own right but Roger should really have known better.
The tears and drama when Rafael Nadal beat him were at best pathetic and at worst petulant. I was particularly irritated that he seemed to want to take away attention from the Champion just because he was not getting the titles he wanted. The bitter diatribes when he seemed to be fading hinted at a man who was pleasant only because he had never been in a position of losing regularly. When Federer was down, he could almost reach the levels of ungraciousness that we have seen from Serena Williams (another great champion who can be hideous when beaten).

A Balanced View

I must admit that I never really liked Roger Federer in the beginning. There was something too perfect about him and I was irked that the media had decided to go on a love fest whenever he was playing. I hated him for winning again and again with almost effortless ease. However when I saw him struggling with younger players and being written off by the same media which yesterday praised him to the heavens, I was moved and began to understand that he is truly a great tennis player. And to think that a jumped up tennis minion like Andy Murray is touted to take his place is an insult beyond belief.

Woods was a child prodigy who began to show his early talents in golf as early as two years old. He was only three when he shot a 47 over nine holes at the navy Golf Club in California. When he was eight he won the boys’ event at the Junior World Golf Championship. He won the Junior Championships again six times which includes four consecutive wins from 1988 to 1991.

While Woods was still attending high school in Anaheim, he became the youngest player to win the US Junior Amateur Player of the year 1991. Woods became a golf sensation that went on to win his first PGA Tour Open Championship. He was named as the Golf World Player of the Year in the following year.

In the fall of 1994, this gold champion enrolled into Stanford University to pursue a major in Economics.

When he was 20, Woods became the first ever golfer to win there consecutive wins in the US Amateur titles and NCAA Gold Championships. He won a silver medal in the Open Championship. Woods left college after two years and became a professional golfer. In August of 1996, Woods signed a $40 million dollar endorsement from Nike, Inc and another $20 million from Titleist. He went on to play another round of professional golf at the Greater Milwaukee opens, and tied for the 60th place. He went on to compensate for this loss by winning in the two events within the next three months to qualify him for the Tour Championship. Woods was named the rookie of the Year in the same year.

Currently Woods is ranked as the World’s No.1 Golf player and the richest athlete of his time. He is the only athlete that has reached the billion dollar mark in earnings from both his golf winnings and celebrity endorsements. To date, Woods has won 71 PGA tour events and 14 Golf professional championships. Woods has more career wins than any other golfer ever. He is also the youngest player to achieve a Grand Slam career.

Woods has a number of powerful and high profile sponsors which includes Nike, AT&T, Gillette, Tag Heuer and Accenture.

Woods is married to Swedish model Elin Nordegren and has two kids, son Charlie Axel, and daughter Sam Alexis. In December 2009, Woods announced an indefinite leave from golf to focus on his family life which was wrecked when his infidelities were brought out to the limelight.

This is his story.

Lance Armstrong grew up in a family where money is scarce but his mother saved up enough to buy him a Schwinn Mag Scrambler when he was a kid. He was an active precocious child and was curious to know about everything and wanted to participate in anything that interest him. The young Armstrong was very athletic from the start and he spent most of his time cycling, playing basketball and swimming in the evening. His talent began to show during his teen years and during his senior year in high school, he was qualified to train with the Olympic team and then travel to Russia to participate in his first ever international tournament.

Soon after his graduation from high school in 1989, he was accepted into the U.S. National Cycling team and worked along with the famous coach Chris Carmichael. He learned from Carmichael that it takes more than physical endurance to win a race. It takes strategy and some killer tactics to be the champion. Sure enough, in 1991, Lance Armstrong became the winner of the U.S. National Amateur Championship.
He then rode in the 1992 Olympics game and finished 14th. Armstrong became a professional athlete right after this event. He won the second place in a World Cup race in Zurich, Switzerland and this marks a new beginning in Lance Armstrong’s career. He met a man by the name of Jim Ochowicz, who later signed him up with the Motorola team.

Armstrong’s career took flight in 1993 and he went on to win ten titles. He was the 1993 World Champion and the US Pro Champion.
In 1996, he won the second Tour DuPont tournament and achieved several major victories. He signed a two million dollar contract with the French Cycling team. This success enables him to purchase a brand new Porsche and a gorgeous home in Austin, Texas. However, he was unable to participate in the Tour DuPont because of his ill health.

Right after his 25th birthday, Armstrong began to cough up blood. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which had spread mercilessly to his abdomen, lymph nodes and the lungs. He was immediately put under intensive medical care and had an operation to remove one of his testicles the day after the diagnosis. Armstrong was given a cocktail of drugs to help save is life and control the spread of the cancerous cells.

Armstrong went on to recover from his battle against cancer and proceeded to win several major competitions and serves as an inspiration for the rest of us. In July 2009, he announced plans to return to the Tour de France 2010 with Radio Shack as his team’s main sponsor.

Agassi was born to the Iranian Emmanuel Mike Aghassian and his wife, Elizabeth in 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Agassi turned professional at the tender age of 16 and never looked back since then. His first ever tournament was held in La Quinta, California where he beat John Austin, 6–4, 6–2 in the first round but lost to Mats Wilander in the second, 6–1, 6-1. He went on to win 60 singles titles, 8 Grand slams titles and an Olympic Gold Medal in 1996. He is the first male player in history to win all four Grand Slam titles on three different paying surfaces, clay, grass and the hard courts.

Agassi is famous for this unique and unorthodox methods of playing and is regarded as one of the most fascinating and charismatic players of this time. He is responsible for reviving back the popularity of tennis in the 1990s.
Agassi is one determined player who would attempt to find end points as quickly as possible and he achieves this by inducing a weak return that is delivered through a series of deep hard shots, and uses the extreme angles to tire out his opponent. His amazing serves provides the sense of anticipation and excitement that draws fans and admirers to his game as loyal spectators. He is famous for his tough slice serve within the deuce service box which often ends his opponents off the court and then followed swiftly by another shot at the opposite corner.

In his personal life, Agassi was married to Brooke Shields but the marriage was short-live and ended in 1999. He met the former Grand Slam Champion, Steffi Graf in the same year and they were married two years later. He now lives with Graff and their son Jaden Gil, and daughter, Jaz Elle in Las Vegas area. They also own several vacation homes.

Agassi has been active in many charitable organizations and founded his own, the Andre Agassi Charitable Association in 1994, that is targeted to help disadvantaged young people in Las Vegas achieve their dreams. For his humanitarian efforts, Andre Agassi was awarded the ATP Arthur Ashe Humanitarian award in 1995. He authored his own biography in 2009 and created a controversy with his confession about using the drug Crystal meth in 1997 which he had lied to tennis official about it.

Beckham joined Manchester on 8 July 1991 as a young trainee which fulfilled this own dreams and his parents’ to see him enter the ranks of the players they used to admire from far. He made his first debut a year later at the age of 17. He had immediate success along with the teammates such as Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes. This dynamic team won the coveted FA Youth Cup back in1992.

Beckham went on to help United win the Premiership title six times and the FA cup as well. In September 1994 Beckham made a full appearance against Port vale in the prestigious League Cup. His first goal for the team was scored during a match against Galatasaray in the Champions League. The team won the match with a knockout 4-0 but it wasn’t good enough to make it to the finals.

Beckham married his sweetheart, Victoria Adams of the Spice Girls fame in 1999, with their 4 month old son Brooklyn in attendance. Between the marriage and the baby and Beckham’ celebrity status in the entertainment industry, his focus and priorities seemed to shift form being a mere team player to a glamorous celebrity which puts him into opposite sides with the team’s famous coach Alex Ferguson. The misunderstandings catapulted into a more serious state and Beckham moved on to sign up with Real Madrid with a contract fee of £25million.

Beckham left Manchester United for real Madrid and stayed there for four seasons. During the final season, he helped Real Madrid clinched the La Liga title which is Beckham’s only trophy with this new club. In January of 2007, Beckham announced his intention to leave Real Madrid to join the Los Angeles Galaxy for a five year period. His exit was dramatic and during his final match with Real, he helped the team clinched the La Liga championship.

Beckham’s newest contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, turned him into the footballer with the highest salary ever in the history of MLA. His first debut with the team in July in a friendly match against Chelsea and he scored his first goal for the team in the semi-finals of the SuperLiga championship.
Today, the football superstar resides in the exclusive Beverly Hills, California with his wife Victoria and their 3 sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

In spite of these issues he had with the law and his social shortcomings, his talent was purely undeniable. He is a genius and a prodigy where boxing is concerned. His relentless speed and accuracy plus his fearsome ways in the boxing ring earned him the World Boxing Council Heavyweight Title back in 1986. He became the youngest man ever to win the coveted title. The following year, he won another title of the World Boxing Association and he was referred to as the invincible”Iron Mike”. He was the ultimate champion of his era and seems totally unbeatable. For instance, in 1988 he knocked off Michael Spinks, the previously undefeated champion in just 91 seconds and the match and the victory earned him a whopping $20 million.

Let’s look a little closer at this controversial man and how he became the World champion we know today.
Michael Gerard Tyson was born in 1966 in Brooklyn New York. His biological father, Jimmy Kirkpatrick left the family when Mike was two years old. His distraught mom tried to juggle between motherhood and financially supporting the family and little Mike found his way into a street gang. He got into trouble with the law many times during his childhood. He was arrested in an armed robbery in 1978 and was sent to the Tyron Correction School for juveniles. This is a move that changed his life forever.

At the Tyron correctional school, the physical education teacher noticed Mike’s natural talent for boxing and introduced the young man to D ‘Amato, a famous trainer who happened to live nearby. Tyson loved being under the new structure and discipline. His intense training to be the next World champion begins. When his mother Lorna Tyson died, Tyson moved in with D’Amato and his trainer became his legal guardian.

He was ready to take on the world with his boxing skills. In March1988, he stepped into the ring for the first time. His first fight was held in Albany, New York. Many people were amazed at his extremely developed skills and natural talent and most assume that D Amato has created the ultimate boxing championship. Sadly, the man did not live to see the fruits of his labor. He died in November at the age of 77. Mike went on to capture the world of boxing and the hearts of boxing aficionados all over the world. He won his first title when he beat Trevor Berbick for the World Boxing Council. At the age of 20, Mike was named as the youngest ever heavyweight champion in the history of boxing.

Tyson was revered for his strength, skills and accuracy. At the height of his career, Tyson was known as the unbeatable champion of the boxing world. In spite of his tremendous success, Tyson came into trouble with the law again when he arrested and convicted of the rape of Muss Black Rhodes Islands. He was sentenced to prison for this offense. He came into trouble again with charges of felony and drunk driving later in his life.

Mike was married three times and has seven children with different women. Tyson’s seven children include son D’Amato Kilrain, Michael Rayna, Amir, Miguel, Exodus, and Milan. In May, Tyson’s life was hit with tragedy when Miguel found the dangling and unconscious Exodus from a treadmill in their home. She was untangled by her mother and sent to the hospital. The accident proved to be fatal.

She left Russia when she was nine and headed on to the Bollettieri Academy in Florida. The young Sharapova, who was nine had to leave home and her country with her father. Her mother who had to stay in Russia for another two years. The young talented player quickly made a very favorable impression on her trainers and a full scholarship was issued for her.

Sharapova turned pro when she was 14 and began her career on the tennis junior court. In 2001, she had won 25 out of the 28 matches she participated in. The following year she broke her own record with a 28 wins out of the 29 games she entered. In the first season she won two important titles: the Quebec City and Japan Open Championships. By the end of the year Sharapova was ranked as the best tennis player in the world.

She won the WTA World tour title and played in all of the four Grand Slams where she made it to the fourth round.
In 2004, Sharapova rocked the world and amazed millions of tennis fans when she beat Serena Williams at the Wimbledon and won her first grand Slam Title. By now she had won over a million dollars and another estimated $15 million in commercial endorsements. She was an instant superstar. Maria Sharapova became the first Russian woman to reach the number one in the WTA ranking in the same year. She was named as WTA Player of the Year and WTA Most Improved Player of the year both in the year 2004 and 2005. She was named as the best female tennis player by ESPY.

Maria’s athletic prowess is attributed to her strong physique, excellent power and the depth and angles of her serves and the amazing groundstroke. She’s known for her fearlessly aggressive attitude in the courts and very strong defensive skills. During her career, she has won there Grand Slams. She defeated Justine Henin in the Final of the US Open the championship in 2006. She defeated Ana Ivanovic in 206 to take the Australian Open in 2008.

Maria has also been featured in various modeling assignments which earned her millions of dollars. She was also featured in a lavish spread in the Sports Illustrated which is actually similar to winning a Grammy for supermodels. In 2009, she was named the highest paid female athlete for her earnings and modeling assignments and celebrity endorsements. She was also voted as the ESPY best female tennis player in 2007 and 2008. Currently she ranked as No 6 in the list of the World’s best tennis players.

O’Neal also enjoyed a successful rap career including his debut album, “Shaq Diesel”, selling more than a million copies and has recorded four additional albums. Not only that, but O’Neal owns a record label. TWISM (The World Is Mine) is his very own successful clothing line. He is currently one of the most sought after celebrity endorser.

Shaquille O’Neal is a famous name in the world of basketball and is a world class superstar with millions of fans worldwide. The 7”1” player was born as Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal in Newark, New Jersey on March 6, 1972 but he moved to Germany during his childhood to be with family where his stepfather served as a military officer in the US Army. It was during these times that he learned to play basketball. The successful basketball sensation who is also known as Shaq is famous for his powerful backboard shattering slam dunks which are feared by his opponents.

Shaquille O’Neal returns to the US and later played for the Louisiana State University, where he earned his collegiate degree in business. Following his extraordinary performance, O’Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic. He quickly became the star of the team, winning himself a center position in the team and one of the best centers in the league.

Shaquille O’Neal won the title of Rookie of the Year in 1992 and 1993 and led his team to the NBA finals. He spent four successful years with the Orlando Magic until he signed as a free agent with the Lakers. He led his team to win the championship with Kobe Bryant in the team. The dynamic duo was unmatched and feared by others in the court but the relationship disintegrated in 2003 which eventually led to his trade with the Miami Heat in 2004. He went on to win a fourth championship in 2006 but O’Neal was traded again with the Phoenix Suns. Only after a short stint of a season and a half, O’Neal was again traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers where he played the 2009 season with LeBron James.

Shaquille O’Neal is a role model that can serve as an inspiration to the younger generation. He is excellent in his career and one of the best basketball players of his time, and yet, O’Neal continues to pursue his own academic excellence and went on to earn his masters degree from the University of Phoenix.
O’Neal is divorced form his ex wife Shaunie Nelson. The couple had six kids – sons Myles, Shareef, and Shaqir, and daughters Amirah, Taahirah and Me’Arah. O’Neal is involved in various charitable organizations and is also the founder his own charitable organization, The Real Model Foundation.

Wayne Mark Rooney was born in Croxteth, on October 24, 1985 to two very loyal Everton supporters who raised their sons to become fanatical fans of the Everton soccer team. In fact, Wayne had the posters of Everton team plastered over his bedroom wall when he was a child and he was even selected to be the mascot a Merseyside derby when he was 12. Wayne did not have a grand childhood with lavish spread or expensive toys, instead he lived and grew up in a relatively poor area in the suburbs of Croxteth and he channeled his passion for football by playing for his local boys club, the Junior League. He was only nine years old when was first spotted by an Everton talent scout, and was subsequently accepted into the Everton Academy.

The feisty youngster made his first Premier League debut in August 2002 in a match against Tottenham. In October, the talented young player scored his first goal with the team and led his team to a 2-1 victory against Arsenal. His amazing performance earned him the title of BBC Sports Personality of the Year (Young Personality) back in 2002.
Rooney began playing for England in February and he was the youngest player ever to join the team. Ironically he managed to score a goal for his team in spite of his young age and lack of experience. Rooney was undoubtedly the top scorer during the Euro 2004 that he gained so munch attention and comments from the other players and spectators of the match. People compared his style and talents to that of Pele, the Brazilian soccer superstar whose talents shone and emerged during the World Cup of 1958. In fact some magazines and fans called him as “El Blanco Pele” or the white Pele. It was only matter of time when other powerful and famous clubs began to take serious note of this youngster and attempted to sign him up for a hefty sum. Manchester United was quick to grab the opportunity and offered a six year deal worth $48.3 million. He was signed on by the Manchester United towards the end of August, 2004.

The sensational superstar has been linked to episodes of hot temperedness and tantrums and his frequent rumored trysts with prostitutes, has led many to believe that he is an unruly character who does not posses any sentimental aspects to his nature. That proves to be inaccurate. He wed his high school sweetheart Coleen in June 2006. Coleen gave birth to their son, Kai Wayne Rooney on November 2, 2009.

The life story of James LeBron and his successes in spite of his shortcomings never fails to inspire and motivate us.
This basketball prodigy was born on December 30, 1984, in Ohio. James never knew his biological father. His mother, Gloria was his world and his biggest fan. She was the one who inspired James to believe in himself and to pursue his talents in baseball. His biological father was reputed to be a stellar street basketball but this was never proven. James is very devoted to his mother, Gloria and has a tattoo with her name on his arm.

LeBron James wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His mother switched jobs and moved homes often as money was scarce and she could not afford to pay the rent sometimes. When James was five, they had moved seven times. Because of severe financial constraints, James has to miss a large chunk of his elementary school days and had to live with foster family for tow years. The only father figure he knew was his mother’s boyfriend, Eddie Jackson. He was fortunate to have found his passion, basketball, early on in life. His interest for this sport grew bigger towards the end of elementary school and because of his innate talent, both he and his mother lived with a basketball coach Frankie Walkie for several years.
As a high school player, James was an instant hit. He led Fighting Irish to an astounding 27-0 record and the performance during the Ohio State Basketball championship was even more amazing. James averaged around 18 point for each game and he was an instant superstar. Fighting Irish won 27-01 and took the championship for the second time.

James became a national celerity as soon as he reached the age of 17. He had successfully led his own team into the third championship four years in a in a row and the USA Today made him the High School National Champion. Several other organizations happily named him as the Player Of The Year,.
James was drafted by The Cleveland Cavaliers. He turned professional and became the youngest player ever to win more than 50 points in a single game. He signed a t $10.8 million contract with the Cavaliers but this would seem a minuscule amount when compared to the numerous endorsements contract with Nike, Sprite, Powerads, and other big corporations that were interested to gain a slice of his popularity and celebrity endorsement. He was paid more than $100 million for those endorsements and LeBron James became both a basketball sensation and a multi-millionaire.

He won several titles to his name and was subsequently named as the Parade Magazine’s Player of the Year in 2002. He was also given the award as Rookie of the Year 2003/2004.