← The best-of-three explorer · All stories
Roger Federer under best-of-three
The straight-sets artist who barely notices the change
20actual titles
→
19under best-of-three
-1
If best-of-three was designed for anyone, it was peak Roger Federer — fast, front-running, allergic to the fifth set. He is the control group: the great whose record best-of-three leaves almost untouched.
The verdict
Across 20 actual major titles, best-of-three would leave Roger Federer with 19. 2 would slip away — knocked out before the final, with the title simply vanishing (no re-bracketing means nobody else is crowned), while 1 final actually lost in five sets would now be won.
Every title, year by year
032003 WimbledonTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
042004 Australian OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
042004 WimbledonTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
042004 US OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
052005 WimbledonTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
052005 US OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
062006 Australian OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
062006 WimbledonTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
062006 US OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
072007 Australian OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
072007 WimbledonTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
072007 US OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
082008 US OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
092009 French OpenKnocked out in the Round of 16 by Tommy Haas (6-7(4) 5-7 6-4 6-0 6-2) — the title vanishes.Lost
092009 WimbledonTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
092009 US OpenWins the final vs Juan Martin del Potro (3-6 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-2) — a title actually lost in five sets.Won
102010 Australian OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
122012 WimbledonKnocked out in the Round of 32 by Julien Benneteau (4-6 6-7(3) 6-2 7-6(6) 6-1) — the title vanishes.Lost
172017 Australian OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
172017 WimbledonTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
182018 Australian OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
Federer loses the least of the Big Three precisely because his greatness needed the fewest sets to express itself.