20 years ago today, Roger Federer captured his first ATP Tour Title in Milan
Twenty years ago when Rafael Nadal was just 14, and 21-year-old Marat Safin sat atop the FedEx ATP Rankings a baby-faced 19-year-old from Switzerland with a ponytail and a poetic one-handed backhand won his first ATP Tour title. Roger Federer’s celebration after beating Julien Boutter at the Milan Indoors 20 years ago this week was muted, almost as if he knew it was only the start of bigger things to come.
“I’ve had to wait a long time for this moment,” he said after earning $54,000 for the win. “It should get easier from here on out.”