Relive Roger Federer’s first ATP Tour title, 25 years later | ATP tour | Tennis

Roger Federer

Relive Roger Federer’s first ATP Tour title, 25 years later

The Swiss star defeated Ivanisevic and Kafelnikov on his way to the first trophy in 2001
February 4, 2026

A quarter of a century has passed since 19-year-old Roger Federer lifted his first ATP Tour trophy, a moment that marked the start of his historic career. Long before the records, the rivalries and the respect, there was Milan, the city where Federer first learned what it felt like to get the job done.

By the time the then 19-year-old arrived in northern Italy in February 2001, Federer was no longer just a promising teenager trying to break through. He had already reached two ATP Tour finals the previous season, in Marseille and Basel, but fell short on both occasions. Those defeats were painful, but also served as a learning experience. Ranked in the Top 30, Federer felt closer than ever and it was no longer a question of if he would win a title, but when.

The draw in Milan was anything but forgiving. Federer’s path to the final included victories against Goran Ivanisevic and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, names synonymous with great glory and experience in big matches. For a young player still learning to deal with expectations and nerves, it was a demanding test of faith.

Federer passed Rainer Schüttler and Cyril Saulnier in his first two matches and then eliminated Ivanisevic in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Just a few months later, Croatian Ivanisevic would win Wimbledon.

Standing between Federer and a third tour-level final was Kafelnikov, who arrived in Milan at No. 7 in the PIF ATP rankings. On paper, Kafelnikov, the former world number 1, seemed the favorite among the remaining semi-finalists, a group that also included Julien Boutter and Greg Rusedski.

“Out of the four guys in the semi-finals, I felt like the title was in my hands,” Kafelnikov told ATPtour.com.

Kafelnikov had defeated Federer in all three previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, but he remembers that even then the sense of anticipation surrounding the young Swiss was impossible to ignore.

“We all knew Roger was the best junior at the time,” Kafelnikov said. “I remember playing him for the first time in Rotterdam when he was still 18. It took me three sets to get past him. I knew all he needed at that moment was someone who could lock him in the frame of mind so he could really concentrate on his tennis.”

“[He was] Play PlayStation with the coach. He wasn’t as focused compared to when he turned 22, when he really started to believe he could be No. 1. He had the potential to become the best player in the world, we all knew that.”

Federer backed that belief on the court, battling past Kafelnikov 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 to earn his first win against the ATP No. 1 Club member and secure his place in the Milan final. Waiting for him in the championship match was Frenchman Boutter, who contested his first final at tour level.

Federer claimed the opening set 6-4, but Boutter pushed him to the edge in a thrilling second-set tiebreak, which the Frenchman won 9/7. For a teenager still chasing his first title, it was a familiar moment of danger. Instead of hesitating, Federer reset. He held his nerve, trusted his instincts and completed a 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-4 victory to finally lift his first ATP Tour trophy.

“I really wanted to win my first ATP Tour title,” Federer once told the ATP. “That was a big week, beating Boutter in the final. It felt like I had pressure, because maybe I went into the final a little bit as a favorite. But inside it was fast and Boutter was a big server, so you never knew what was going on.”

“I think it was more of a relief than joy or happiness. I think that started 24 hours later. I remember thinking, ‘At least I have one’.”

The triumph was a milestone years in the making. Federer had scored his first ATP Tour match victory in Toulouse in 1998, three years before Milan, and steadily climbed the rankings thereafter.

“I am a very small part of Federer’s career,” Boutter said. “I’m the first to lose to him in a final, but a lot of guys did the same as me.”

In retrospect, Milan is a defining early chapter rather than an isolated success. Federer would go on to capture 103 tour-level titles, including 20 Grand Slam crowns, with his last win coming in Basel in 2019.