Roger Federer has accomplished almost all there is to achieve in tennis, and he isn’t done yet. The Swiss tennis icon, who enjoys such celebrity status as Michael Jordan or David Beckham in his native country, is about to immortalized by the Swiss Post.
To commemorate Federer’s record-breaking streak at atop the world rankings for 161 consecutive weeks, the Swiss Post is issuing a stamp to honor the 25-year-old, 10-time Grand Slam Champion.
The record was previously held for 30 years by American Jimmy Connors, who was ranked No. 1 from July 1974 to August 1977. While Pete Sampras holds the all-time record for total weeks at No. 1 (286 weeks), the man considered to be arguably the greatest ever—perhaps until Federer—only held the top stop for 102 straight weeks.
Federer is being recognized not only for his tennis accomplishments but also for his humanitarian work through his foundation and his unparalleled sportsmanship on and off the court, making him one of the greatest global ambassadors of Switzerland.
The one Swiss franc stamp will be issued officially on April 10, 2007. It is not only a privilege to be commemorated in print but an even greater honor as living persons are not normally presented with the distinction, making Federer the first to receive the mark of respect.
The stamp will be available for purchase in April at Swiss postal offices, on the internet at www.post.ch/philashop or via telephone at +31 338 06 06.