Watch: A 12-Year-Old Roger Federer Starts ATP Journey As Ball Boy In Basel

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At the age of 41 and trying to recover from a third knee surgery in 18 months, Roger Federer has bowed to the inevitable march of time

Self-confidence was never an issue -- who else could have walked on to Wimbledon Centre Court sporting a bespoke cream blazer with an embroidered crest?

The artistry associated with the Swiss brought him a global legion of fans bedecked in 'RF' hats and gave him an aura that few attain.

A columnist once famously even penned a gushing article headlined "Federer as Religious Experience".

- Number one -
Federer also held the world number one spot for 310 weeks, including 237 consecutive weeks between February 2004 and August 2008.

His net worth was estimated in 2019 at $450 million and such is the cash-register recognition of the Federer brand that in 2018, he penned a 10-year, $300 million deal with clothing manufacturer Uniqlo.

He was 36 at the time.

In his prime, Federer left opponents bamboozled.

"I threw the kitchen sink at him but he went to the bathroom and got his tub," sighed an exhausted Andy Roddick after losing the 2004 Wimbledon final.

Off court, however, he is Federer the family man, the father of two sets of twins, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva and Leo and Lenny with wife Mirka, a former player he met at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

His path to super-stardom was not always so settled.

As a talented young player, Federer's hair-trigger temper threatened to stunt his progress.

"I had a tough time getting my act together out on court, trying to behave properly. For me that was a big deal," he admitted.

At just 19, Federer famously defeated personal hero Pete Sampras at the 2001 Wimbledon tournament. 

Twelve months later, however, Federer exited Wimbledon in the first round.

It took a personal tragedy for him to press the reset button.

Just before he turned 21, his coach and close friend from his formative years, Peter Carter, was killed in a car crash in South Africa.

From that point on, the multi-lingual Federer committed himself to winning in style, no longer consumed by his inner demons.

With AFP inputs