Roger Federer sealed his 99th career title on Sunday by defeating Romanian Marius Copil 7-6(5), 6-4 to clinch his ninth Basel title in front of his home crowd.
This is the latest milestone in Federer’s incredible career. The 37-year-old is now one title away from a century of titles that will see the World No. 3 within nine wins of equaling Jimmy Connors’ all-time singles record of 109 titles.
In total Federer has won 20 Grand Slams, six year-end championships, 27 ATP Masters 1000’s, 21 ATP 500’s and 25 ATP 250 events. Federer’s latest triumph at Basel is his fourth title of the year, a feat that he has accomplished on 14 occasions.
Out of Federer’s 99 career titles, his most successful tournaments have come at Basel and Halle where he has won both titles nine times. Next on Federer’s impeccable CV is Wimbledon with eight victories followed by Cincinnati and Dubai where he has held the title aloft seven times.
Federer now moves to a 44-7 win-loss record for the year giving him an 86.27% win percentage. With only two tournaments remaining until the end of the 2018 season, Federer will be looking to not only end his campaign in style but to capture that magic 100th career title.
So where will arguably the greatest tennis player that has ever lived lift his 100th title?
It may come as a surprise as a surprise but Federer has only won the Paris Masters title once in 12 appearances in Bercy.
In 2011 Federer defeated home favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 7-6(3). With a 21-10 win-loss record in his career at the event, Federer returns to the final Masters 1000 event of the year for the first time in two years as previously stating his reasoning for skipping the tournament was in order to manage his schedule more carefully.
Federer will have to go some way if he wants to win his second Paris title this week. After receiving a bye into the second round, Federer could face either Milos Raonic or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his opening match.
In the quarters, Federer could clash with his Wimbledon conqueror Kevin Anderson who himself will be full of confidence having won the title in Vienna by defeating Kei Nishikori that also ensured his berth at next month’s ATP World Tour Finals extravaganza in London.
It does not get any easier for Federer after that, as Novak Djokovic will likely be his opponent in the semi-final should they both advance to that stage.
If Federer fails in his attempt to win his 100th career title in Paris then he will have another shot at an event where he has had massive success in the past, the ATP World Tour Finals.
Federer is a six-time champion at the end of year championships but hasn’t won the prestigious event since 2011 where he beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in an instant classic, 6-3, 6-7(8), 6-3.
Luckily for the world of tennis, Federer has committed to play next season so you would think it’s just a question of when and not if the great man will be celebrating his 100th title.
