Roger Federer's journey to the top of the men's game

Roger Federer said he will retire from competitive tennis following next week's Laver Cup in London. Following is a timeline charting the 20-times Grand Slam champion's rise to the top of the game:

2001: Burst onto the scene, ending American Pete Sampras' 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon in the fourth round before losing in the quarter-finals to Tim Henman.

2002: Became the first Swiss man to finish in the top 10 and appear in the season-ending ATP Finals since Jakob Hlasek was number eight in 1988.

2003: Made his Grand Slam breakthrough the following year at Wimbledon, beating Mark Philippoussis in the final for the first of his eight titles at the grasscourt major.

2004: The Swiss flexed his muscles by winning three majors - the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, making him the first man to do so in a season since Mats Wilander in 1988.

He also became the first player in the Open Era to win his first four Grand Slam finals.

2005: Defended Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles after failing to reach the finals in the first two majors of the year.

2006: Reached all four Grand Slam finals, winning in Australia, Wimbledon and the U.S. among a haul of 12 titles and a 92-5 win-loss record. Finished top of the ATP rankings for a third straight year.

2007: Became the first player in history to reach all four Grand Slam finals in back-to-back years, winning at Melbourne Park, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.

2008: Extended his run of winning at least one Grand Slam title to six straight years by capturing the U.S. Open crown in a season hampered by illness and injury.

Won an Olympic men's doubles gold medal with Stan Wawrinka at the Beijing Games.

2009: Captured his only French Open crown after great rival Rafa Nadal's 31-match