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

More than 19 years after winning his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, which set him on the road to being acclaimed as the greatest player of all time, Roger Federer in the early hours of Saturday bade farewell to tennis. He was unable to finish with a victory, losing his doubles match for Team Europe at the Laver Cup alongside long-time rival Rafael Nadal.

At the age of 41 and trying to recover from a third knee surgery in 18 months, the great Swiss has bowed to the inevitable march of time. He leaves the sport with 20 Grand Slams, including eight Wimbledons, 103 titles and more than $130 million in prize money alone, all driven by a rare grace, laser precision and a signature one-handed backhand.

The journey however, began with small steps. In a recent video posted by the ATP Tour, Federer can be seen as a ball boy. The caption of the post read: "1993 - Where it all began...Ball boy at Swiss indoors in Basel, Switzerland."

A post shared by ATP Tour (@atptour)

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