Roger Federer and Pat Rafter represent two different generations of tennis, with the Swiss icon becoming one of the sport’s most decorated players and the Australian star leaving a lasting legacy before Federer’s dominance began. Now, Rafter has revealed his first impression of the Swiss star.
When they met for the first time at the 1999 French Open, Federer was a 17-year-old making his debut in the tournament, while Rafter was already a two-time Grand Slam champion. Speaking to the ATP Tour, Rafter reflected on their first encounter, which took place in the opening round at Roland Garros.
“Roger Federer came on the scene in ’99, and I got to play him; he got a wild card, I think. He came on, and he beat me in the first set 7-5. I was like, ‘You punk!,’” he recalled. “I was trying to work out how I was going to get through to him as well, and I got off in the second set. Then he might have done a double fault or I won a big point, and I just got in his face and went ‘Come on!’”
According to Rafter, Federer showed some inexperience at the time. “He sort of melted a little bit. He was a little soft at that stage.” The Australian ultimately won the match in four sets.
“Once he sorted that part of his game out, oh my god, it was such a good time [for me] to leave the game,” Rafter joked. “He wanted me to stay so he could start beating me, and I was just trying to get out of the game as quickly as I could.”
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Rafter and Federer played twice on the ATP Tour, with the Australian winning both meetings. Their second match came in 2001 at Halle, a tournament Federer would go on to win ten times in his career. Rafter again prevailed in straight sets, making him one of the few players to hold an undefeated record against Federer.
Rafter’s career and legacy
A former world No. 1 in singles, Rafter was among the top players of his generation. He won back-to-back US Open titles in 1997 and 1998 and reached the Wimbledon final in 2000 and 2001. Additionally, he was ranked as high as No. 6 in doubles and played a key role in Australia’s Davis Cup team.
Rafter remains one of the few players to achieve the Canada Masters, Cincinnati Masters, and US Open title sweep in a single season—something only Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal have matched in the Open Era. He retired in 2003 after struggling with injuries and later served as Australia’s Davis Cup captain.
