Roger Federer records that may never be broken: Winning his first seven Grand Slam finals in a row

Every day until the final event of his career, the Laver Cup later this week, we’ll be highlighting one of Roger Federer’s records that may never be broken.

So far we’ve covered how he’s the only tennis player ever to win two different majors five years in a row each, his 65-match grass-court winning streak (the men’s Open Era record), his 24-final winning streak (also a men’s Open Era record), and most recently how he’s the only player ever to win 100 matches at two different majors.

Today's record is something no other man in the Open Era has even come close to:

Winning his first seven Grand Slam finals in a row

A lot of the all-time greats lost their first major final—some lost their first two, three, and even four before starting to pile on the titles. But Federer got on a roll right from the start, not only winning his first Grand Slam final, but his first seven in a row.

Federer starting off 7-0 in Grand Slam finals is the best undefeated start to a career in Grand Slam finals for any man in the Open Era, and by a long way:

MEN TO WIN FIRST THREE (OR MORE) MAJOR FINALS IN OPEN ERA:

• Federer: won first 7 (2003 Wimbledon, 2004 Australian Open, 2004 Wimbledon, 2004 US Open, 2005 Wimbledon, 2005 US Open, 2006 Australian Open)
• Connors: won first 3 (1974 Australian Open, 1974 Wimbledon, 1974 US Open)
• Borg: won first 3 (1974 Roland Garros, 1975 Roland Garros, 1976 Wimbledon)
• Edberg: won first 3 (1985 Australian Open, 1987 Australian Open, 1988 Wimbledon)
• Kuerten: won first 3 (1997 Roland Garros, 2000 Roland Garros, 2001 Roland Garros)
• Wawrinka: won first 3 (2014 Australian Open, 2015 Roland Garros, 2016 US Open)

The other members of the Big 3 aren’t on the above list because of Federer—Rafael Nadal won his first two major finals before falling to Federer in his third at Wimbledon in 2006, while Novak Djokovic lost his first major final to the Swiss at the 2007 US Open.

Federer’s perfect start in major finals came to an end at the hands of Nadal at Roland Garros in 2006. After winning the first set, he eventually fell to the King of Clay in four.

FEDERER’S FIRST SEVEN MAJOR FINALS:

• d. Philippoussis in 2003 Wimbledon F, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (3)
• d. Safin in 2004 Australian Open F, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-2
• d. Roddick in 2004 Wimbledon F, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-4
• d. Hewitt in 2004 US Open F, 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0
• d. Roddick in 2005 Wimbledon F, 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4
• d. Agassi in 2005 US Open F, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1
• d. Baghdatis in 2006 Australian Open F, 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2
• [l. to Nadal in 2006 Roland Garros F, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4)]

Federer’s 7-0 start in Grand Slam finals is actually the best for a man or a woman in the Open Era—Monica Seles holds the women’s record in this stat, starting off 6-0 in Grand Slam finals, with Naomi Osaka next at 4-0 (and still active). There are five more women tied at 3-0: Iga Swiatek, who’s also still active, and Virginia Wade, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati and Ashleigh Barty, who are all retired.

Margaret Court won the first eight Grand Slam finals she contested in the Open Era, but she had lost some before the Open Era.