1995
It is a difficult step for the 14-year old to move from his home in Basel to the national tennis centre in Ecublens.
By reaching the quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl in Key Biscayne (USA), the most important international junior tennis tournament, Roger achieves his first international success.
1996
In the meantime he has adjusted well to life in Ecublens and his French has improved as well.
Roger becomes the Swiss Junior Champion in winter as well as in summer in the category for 16-year olds. He furthermore wins the Swiss Club Championship with his Old Boys Tennis Club.
1997
After finishing his compulsory schooling, he fully focuses on tennis and, together with his friend Yves Allegro, moves into an own flat.
Since the Swiss Tennis training centre is being moved from Ecublens to Biel, Roger leaves his host family.
He decides on flat-sharing and, together with his tennis mate, the 3-years older Yves Allegro, moves into a 2-roomed flat.
The two friends – as well as Marco Chiudinelli, a tennis friend of Roger's from Basel – very often spend their free time playing computer games late into the night.
1998
Photo: Bob Thomas/Getty Images
Due to another wild card, he participates in the tournament in Basel – his home town – in October, where he has to play Andre Agassi, who indeed concedes only 5 games in two sets to young Roger.
In December he wins the Orange Bowl, the unofficial junior world championship in Key Biscayne (USA), and ends the year as the number 1 in the junior world ranking.
Our hero celebrates this triumph with freshly-dyed blonde hair.
1999
Roger receives a total of eight wild cards, and reaches his first semi-finals on the World Tour.
The professional newcomer starts the year on position 301 of the world rankings and ends the season on the fantastic 64th position.
2000
Roger leaves Swiss Tennis in April to stand on his own feet. In the course of this change, he decides upon Peter Lundgren as his private coach.
The appointment of Pierre Paganini as his fitness coach in December further completes his team.
He meets the Swiss tennis player, Mirka Vavrinec, in the Olympic village and from the last day on, they are a couple.
2001
And brings Pete Sampras' winning streak in Wimbledon to an end.
He has to take a long break due to injury for the first time during summer and thus misses the Masters at the end of the season. He ends the year as number 13 in the world rankings.
2002
Roger wins on three ATP tournaments, Hamburg being his first victory at a Masters series tournament.
However, he drops out in the first rounds of the Grand Slam tournaments in Paris and London.
He nevertheless qualifies for the Masters Cup in Houston and ends the year on position 6 in the world rankings.
His youth trainer, Peter Carter, dies in an accident in South Africa in August; Roger is profoundly shaken.
2003
The victory at his favourite Grand Slam tournament makes him a star once and for all.
He wins the season ending Masters in Houston and finishes the year as the world’s number two.
He establishes the Roger Federer Foundation in December.
2004
A fantastic year for Roger: he wins the Grand Slam tournaments of Melbourne, Wimbledon and New York.
He is the first player since Mats Wilander (1988) to win three of the four major tournaments.
Roger became the world number 1 in tennis; a position which he will defend until 2008 during 237 weeks.