For Federer's fans: Most devastating loss in his career?

Most heartbreaking Roger Federer's loss ever?


  • Total voters
    81

terribleIVAN

Hall of Fame
Rome 2006.

Nadal had beaten him at RG 2005.

Losing after 2 match points in your absolute prime against your biggest rival on his best surface is devastating.

It's like Becker losing these 2 match points vs Muster at Monte Carlo 1995 and never have won a clay tourney in his career.
 
I believe his 5 match winning streak over Nadal in 2017 tones down the magnitude of his losses to him, while with Djokovic, he is more on the losing side, and the really humiliating losses at US Open and Wimbledon must be nagging Fed
 

KINGROGER

G.O.A.T.
100% 2009 AO.

2011 USO, 2012 AO most annoying losses for me but not as heartbreaking.

2006 Rome similar to 09 AO IE better player on the day, more points won but mugged up on most important points.
 

Steffi-forever

Hall of Fame
On a sentimental value, Montreal 2007 vs Djokovic because it is my home town...
Otherwise, the AO 2009 final hurts the most.
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
For me, it's Wimbledon 2015 which you haven't even included on the poll! Federer played possibly his best quality match at Wimbledon in the semi final against Murray and I had high hopes for the final unlike the year before. Devastating to see him not bring his semi final level into the final and to lose again to Djokovic.
Why are you commenting on a question directed to Fed fans? :whistle::unsure:
 

Mainad

Bionic Poster
2008 Wimbledon must surely have been the most crushing. It was the first time he had lost to anybody at Wimbledon since he won his first Slam there and the first time he had lost a Wimbledon final. Coming just a couple of weeks after being utterly humiliated in the heart of Nadal's kingdom he then gets taken down in the heart of his own kingdom by the same opponent. It must have been galling beyond belief!
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
2008 Wimbledon must surely have been the most crushing. It was the first time he had lost to anybody at Wimbledon since he won his first Slam there and the first time he had lost a Wimbledon final. Coming just a couple of weeks after being utterly humiliated in the heart of Nadal's kingdom he then gets taken down in the heart of his own kingdom by the same opponent. It must have been galling beyond belief!

Again, unsure of why non-Fed fans are weighing in on this topic? 2008 Wimbledon was nothing, 2009 AO and 2009 USO are 400 trillion times more crushing to many of us. 2014 Wimbledon beats out 2008 Wimbledon for the majority of Fed fans as well. I have no clue what Murray loss would be worst for his fans and would never presume to speak for them. ;)
 

Bukowski

Professional
It is impressive he has recovered and stuck with it after so many devastating losses. How does this compare to outgoing former greats? Did they have this many losses and recover to the top?
 

Mainad

Bionic Poster
Again, unsure of why non-Fed fans are weighing in on this topic? 2008 Wimbledon was nothing, 2009 AO and 2009 USO are 400 trillion times more crushing to many of us. 2014 Wimbledon beats out 2008 Wimbledon for the majority of Fed fans as well. I have no clue what Murray loss would be worst for his fans and would never presume to speak for them. ;)

I was a big Fed fan long before Murray came on the scene so I still feel I have the right to comment on his career and I still feel 2008 Wimbledon was the worst defeat setting in motion all the later incidents you refer to. :cool:
 

Raining hopes

Hall of Fame
2009 USO is very very painful for me.


No way of watching the match.No broadcaster on my cable. The only way of knowing the result was the Newspapers and one single news channel which used to have a 15 min show on sports every morning. Tennis even with the major was a mere 1-2 min part.

This was around peak of my fanhood.

Imagine reading that he had reached the final in straights. Imagine being so sure of the victory, that you are already in a happy mood a day before. Imagine thinking of a record breaking 6th in a row , and becoming USO GOAT.



Then imagine waking up to read that he lost, and lost because of his stupidity.
 

zvelf

Hall of Fame
The 2011 U.S. Open semifinal may not have been as important in the scheme of his career as some other matches listed here, but it had to be extremely painful for Federer in the moment and in its specifics. First Djokovic had come back from two match points down in 2010 to beat Federer in the exact same position and here he's doing it again the following year. But in 2011, Federer actually had Djokovic down 2 sets to none first. And then there was the way Djokovic won. Federer breaks Djokovic at love for 5-3 and is now serving for the match. Two match points down, Djokovic gives a nod like "I got this," and then just casually wallops a stunning forehand winner back on Federer's first serve. Federer looks incensed and ends up double faulting the game away. Djokovic goes on to win the last 4 games of the match and the tournament.
 

Kuclas

Rookie
2011 us open semi. Up two sets to none. 2011 was Novak most dominant year. Fed stopped him at French open. Fed has 2 match points 5-3 on his own serve. Lucky shot by Novak. But fed just completely unravel and lost 7-5.

To me. This match enables Novak to join the big 2 and it truly became the big 3 era.
 
C

Chadalina

Guest
The delpo and djok matches at the us open are mine, he should of won those. Others not so much

There is a big difference between losing a match and your opponent winning a match.
 

raph6

Semi-Pro
This match is objectively his worst defeat ever. He would have been a god had he converted one of his match point, beating Nadal and Djokovic back to back at 37 yo and improving the GS record. Now he is devastated and Djokovic and Nadal have never been as close as today to surpass him.
 

Pheasant

Legend
Yep. This was the worst loss yet. He had double match point on his serve, then choked it away. I really wanted to shut the TV off after Fed blew match points.

These chokes are going to cost Fed the slam titles record.
 

vectorthurm

Rookie
Yep. This was the worst loss yet. He had double match point on his serve, then choked it away. I really wanted to shut the TV off after Fed blew match points.

These chokes are going to cost Fed the slam titles record.

I was soo tense, I was holding my breath and I wish he took just a little more time at 40-15! I thought for sure with 2 opportunities he would have come up with his very best serve...
 

Towny

Hall of Fame
I cannot believe he was 40-15 up on serve in the 5th set against Djokovic AGAIN! Yeah, this one really hurts. I guess I expected him to lose so that counterbalanced it. But after being the better player for the first 4 sets and coming back in the 5th just to lose in a tiebreak, which he's supposed to be good at? Just such an awful feeling.
 

Xavier G

Hall of Fame
The AO 2009 loss felt worse.
I didn't expect Fed to get so close today so it was a great effort. He had match points on his own serve and still didn't win it, so kinda shocked by that.
I wanted him to get Rafa in the semi and beat him. He did that. Pretty good tournament overall and one he let slip away.
 
How on earth did he throw those match points away so readily?

I actually can’t remember the serve on the first one but Djokovic almost couldn’t believe his luck at his easy return on the second. Then the FH before he charged was nowhere near the line and left Djokovic with a litany options for the passing shot.

Did he think that the winner on the 2nd MP was going wide or just knew he was beaten? I thought it was within “try to get something on it” range.
 
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