'Unmatched, Unprecedented': Fans Hail Roger Federer as Swiss Wins Record-Extending 40th ATP Award
10:56 GMT 17.12.2021 (Updated: 11:44 GMT 10.12.2022)
© AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth
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Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer is perhaps the most loved tennis star on the planet. The Swiss legend's following transcends national boundaries, and that's the reason he has been winning the sport's Fans' Favourite Award for nearly two decades.
Tennis lovers have hailed Roger Federer after the former men's World No. 1 bagged a record-extending 40th ATP award on Thursday night.
Federer's feat came after he was crowned as the winner of the 2021 ATP Fans' Favorite Award for a 19th consecutive time.
Besides capturing the Fans' Favourite Award on 19 different occasions, the 40-year-old superstar has 13 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Awards and won the Comeback Player of the Year award once, in 2017.
The Basel-born Swiss has also lifted the World No. 1 trophy five times; he has picked up the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award twice.
Federer has played only 13 matches on the tennis circuit in 2021 with a run to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon being his best. But his hold on the sport's supporters is set to continue for yet another year.
While some of his admirers requested that the ATP rename the Fans Favourite Award as the "Roger Federer Award", others heaped rich praise on the iconic tennis player before declaring his accomplishment as "unmatched and unprecedented".
Meanwhile, a few called him the "man of the people", while others said that Federer winning the award wasn't a "surprise", considering his play is so elegant and full of poise.
You've voted and @rogerfederer is your Favourite Singles Player for the 19th year in a row! 🙌#ATPAwards
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 16, 2021
Unprecedented. In a class of his own. Roger Federer. pic.twitter.com/236YWwLLxL
— Jeric Cruz (@JericNicolson) December 17, 2021
The ATP could rename this to the Roger Federer award or something, no? https://t.co/SHBtnUXexr
— Raelle (@fRemantle211) December 16, 2021
Roger Federer is once again the man of the people. pic.twitter.com/neHfgquOcm
— Prasad Joshi (@PrasadJoshi4) December 17, 2021
Roger Federer and his capability of winning Fans' Favourite Award = unmatched
— Klaudia (@klaudia_cs93) December 16, 2021
FedFans = unmatched
Him winning that award pissing so many people off = unmatched
In conclusion, Roger Federer = unmatched
LOL Roger Federer barely played in 2021, and he still won fan favorite. And nobody is surprised because, I mean, he's Federer, you know? I love it. pic.twitter.com/trSA44aU7i
— Amanda (@Amandita_FP) December 16, 2021
Federer may have overcome two of his biggest challengers, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the ATP Awards, but both the Spaniard and the Serbian can leapfrog him in the Grand Slam race next month.
Tennis' holy trinity is currently tied at 20 Slams each. However, unlike Federer, who is still recuperating from a knee injury after undergoing surgery and will not compete in the Australian Open, Nadal and Djokovic will participate in the tournament in Melbourne.
A Nadal or Djokovic victory in Victoria could make either of them as the first man in history to win 21 Grand Slam titles.
The Australian Open is scheduled to take place at Melbourne Park from 17-30 January 2022.
