Roger Federer - 24 games that he lost despite a match ball
In the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer lost despite having his own match balls - it was not the first time that the Swiss was only one point away from victory and still lost.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
Jul 18, 2019, 09:50 pm

The opportunity for the 21st Grand Slam title was as big as before. But despite two match balls, Roger Federer was beaten by Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic with 12:13 (3) in the all-important fifth set.
The Swiss colleagues from the "Tagesanzeiger" have now researched that this was the 24th defeat in the Swiss career in which he had at least one match ball. Federer did this six times in a Grand Slam tournament, three of them against Djokovic. At the US Open 2010 and 2011, the industry leader had annihilated two Swiss match balls.
Djokovic and Nadal more successful
The game against Gael Monfils in Paris-Bercy from 2010 is a negative record. In the semifinals, the 20-time Grand Slam winner found five match balls and still had to leave the field as a loser.
So far, 2012 is the last year in which Federer always won after having his own match balls. The 37-year-old has managed this since 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Overall, the 24 defeats after own match balls make up only 0.84 percent of the 265 defeats in Federer's career. For comparison: Novak Djokovic only lost three games in which he was one point away from winning. With Rafael Nadal there are eight.
The 24 matches in which Federer lost despite the match ball
year | competition | round | opponent | Number of match balls |
2019 | Wimbledon | final | Novak Djokovic | 2nd |
2019 | Madrid | Quarter-finals | Dominic Thiem | 2nd |
2018 | Wimbledon | Quarter-finals | Kevin Anderson | 1 |
2018 | Indian Wells | final | Juan Martin del Potro | 3rd |
2017 | Stuttgart | Second round | Tommy Haas | 1 |
2017 | Dubai | Second round | Evgeny Donskoy | 3rd |
2016 | Stuttgart | Semi-finals | Dominic Thiem | 2nd |
2015 | Madrid | Second round | Nick Kyrgios | 2nd |
2014 | Rome | Second round | Jeremy Chardy | 1 |
2013 | Dubai | Semi-finals | Tomas Berdych | 3rd |
2011 | US Open | Semi-finals | Novak Djokovic | 2nd |
2010 | Paris-Bercy | Semi-finals | Gael Monfils | 5 |
2010 | US Open | Semi-finals | Novak Djokovic | 2nd |
2010 | Miami | Second round | Tomas Berdych | 1 |
2010 | Indian Wells | Third round | Marcos Baghdatis | 3rd |
2006 | Rome | final | Rafael Nadal | 2nd |
2005 | Monte Carlo | Quarter-finals | Richard Gasquet | 3rd |
2005 | Australian Open | Semi-finals | Marat Safin | 1 |
2003 | Miami | Quarter-finals | Albert Costa | 3rd |
2002 | Rotterdam | Quarter-finals | Nicolas Escude | 1 |
2002 | Australian Open | Second round | Tommy Haas | 1 |
2001 | Paris-Bercy | Second round | Jiri Novak | 1 |
2001 | Hall | Quarter-finals | Pat Rafter | 1 |
2000 | Vienna | Semi-finals | Tim Henman | 2nd |