Nov 29, 2006 from ATP:
Feder-bear has arrived! Please visit www.tytrade.com/feder-bear to buy your very own! Also, please be sure to check out Feder-bear's blog as he travels around the world over the next several months!

from Roger Federer Official Site:
"The most creative player in tennis history has a style all his own on the court an off."

Roger is featured in this December issue of Vogue (US). He is pictured in a glamorous six-page spread in a number of striking outfits, including a white tuxedo jacket and Gucci wool pants.

Daisy Garnett says: "Though he has learned to experiment more with his clothes, Roger is the first to admit that he wasn't always interested in fashion. 'When I started to date Mirka I had a couple of pairs of sneakers and one pair of jeans. Tennis players walk around in tracksuits nonstop, but I realized I'm a different person off the court and I didn't have to wear tennis gear all the time... I thought I couldn't move in a suit. But it's just a matter of getting used to these things. So it's been an interesting last few years, finding the style I prefer most.' "

Nov 28, 2006 from ATP:
Roger Federer has launched his official 2007 calendar for the tennis fans around the globe. Place your order now and you will soon receive the high-quality images reflecting Roger's greatest moments in 2006. The calendars are sold at CHF 29.- (€ 20, $ 24) per piece, plus postage. The profit from the calendar goes fully to the Roger Federer Foundation.

If you live in North or South America and want to purchase the calendar click here. For residents of other parts of the world click here.

Nov 26, 2006 from ATP:
Official launch of the ATP Exclusive Feder-bear Beanie Baby® will take place on Monday, November 27th, at 10:00AM Central Time, through Ty's Web site at www.tytrade.com/feder-bear.

Designed in honor of No. 1 ranked player, Roger Federer, this 8" Beanie Baby comes complete with his own tennis racquet, teal shirt with ATP logo, and white headband. $5.00 from the sale of each ATP Exclusive Feder-bear will go to support the UNICEF-ATP partnership, ACE (Assisting Children Everywhere).

Nov 22, 2006 from Xinhua:
Former soccer star Diego Maradona told media on Monday (Nov 20) that Roger Federer is "by far, the best tennis player in history". Maradona joked that Federer "appears to have no feelings. When he is 40-0 down he wears the same expression as when he is winning". Maradona said he would travel to Russia in December for the Russia-Argentina final in tennis's Davis Cup.

Nov 21, 2006 from Reuters:
SEOUL - Roger Federer overcame Rafael Nadal for the second time in less than a week with a masterful display in a 6-3 3-6 6-3 exhibition match victory in South Korea on Tuesday.

The boisterous crowd in Seoul enjoyed a match where the pair traded blazing groundstrokes and serves across the net with precision. Federer began the first set by winning nine straight points on his serve and breaking his Spanish opponent to stake himself an early 4-1 lead. He ended as he started with a love game off on his serve to take the set 6-3.

Nadal took advantage of a rare lapse on Federer's part to break him in the eighth game to take the second set. The middle set had its moments of theatrics, including Federer taking a break to watch a big screen replay of a point won masterfully by Nadal by flying through the air to smash volleys at the net.

from Chosunilbo:
Federer said he was satisfied to have shown the Korean fans an interesting match. Now he is to take two weeks rest and then start preparing for the Australian Open.

Ahead of the match, the two stars gave a one-hour long one master class to some 20 elementary and middle school students with dreams of becoming star tennis players. Federer let the kids in on the finer points of proper elbow position during serves. After the match, the two stars donated US$50,000 for scholarships for kids.

Nov 20, 2006 from Yonhap:
SEOUL - Roger Federer will face another challenge in an exhibition match against Rafael Nadal in Seoul on Tuesday. Federer and Nadal arrived here from Shanghai on Monday and held a joint press conference.

"I'm happy to be here and I'll show good game and give joy some other time again," Federer said in a welcoming ceremony held in the HyundaiCard building in central Seoul, expressing thanks to the hosts for inviting him.

"Rafael is a very fast and mature player though he is 20. He will become one of the greatests in the next few years," Federer said of Nadal after the players were asked to comment on each other's strengths and weakness.

"The match is an exhibition which puts the No. 2 against the No. 1 player, so I will play good and show my best game," Federer said. He added that this season was injury-free and next season will be an interesting and exciting one.

from AFP:
SEOUL - Roger Federer arrived in Seoul for the first time and vowed to put on a show for his Korean fans to end a long, gruelling season.

"It's always good to come to a city I've never been to," the Swiss world No.1 said ahead of an exhibition match. "Of course, I am a little tired after Shanghai but I can handle one more match before the holidays and then look back on a great season. It's been long but the best part is that I have stayed injury-free. I can't believe that I've played from January to November."

from Bob Larson's Tennis News:
Shanghai - The world’s top tennis players, tournament sponsors and fans assisted charity efforts during the prestigious Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, raising funds for ACE (Assisting Children Everywhere) – the partnership between the ATP and UNICEF – through donations made for aces served on court, silent auctions and Feder-bear Beanie Baby® sales on site. Altogether, ACEs for AIDS and player memorabilia raised close to 315,000 RMB (approximately $40,000) during the eight-day circuit finale.

The tournament's premier sponsors, including Mercedes-Benz, South African Airways, Lacoste and RADO, donated up to 1,000 RMB for each ace served on opening Sunday and during the final weekend of the Tennis Masters Cup. The singles and doubles players combined for 174 aces over the four days, raising 133,050 RMB for UNICEF. The round robin match between circuit ace leaders Ivan Ljubicic and Andy Roddick featured 35 aces alone.

The charity auction at Qi Zhong Stadium featured autographed t-shirts and banners from the ATP’s stars, with Tennis Masters Cup champion Roger Federer’s framed shirt fetching the highest amount of 28,000 RMB. Two Mercedes-Benz bobby cars, signed by all the players in the elite eight-man, eight-team field, attracted a total of 25,000 RMB.

Nov 19, 2006 from AP:
SHANGHAI - Roger Federer overwhelmed James Blake, claiming his third Masters Cup title 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 in Sunday's championship match.

Top-ranked Federer rounded off another dominating season with 12 titles and 16 finals appearances from the 17 tournaments he contested, winning $8.34 million. Already the first player to exceed $7 million in prize money in a season, Federer pocketed $1.52 million for his unbeaten run at the season-ending championship in Shanghai.

Federer has enough entry rankings points that he doesn't have to win another match between now and March to beat Jimmy Connors' all-time record for most consecutive weeks atop the men's rankings. He has been No. 1 since Feb. 2, 2004, already 143 weeks. By Feb. 26, he'll be up to 161 weeks, beating Connors' mark of 160, according to the International Tennis Federation.

It took Blake 34 minutes to get on the scoreboard, finally holding serve in the second game of the second set — and even then he had to save two breakpoints.

Federer had 22 unforced errors and 41 winners, against Blake's 18 winners and 27 unforced errors. He broke Federer for the only time when the Swiss star was serving for the match at 5-2.

Federer served out at love the next time, setting up a triple match point with a trademark backhand down the line and clinching it when Blake netted a return. It was Federer's 29th consecutive win, improving him to 92-5 for the year.

"He played too good. I've probably run out of adjectives to describe him on the court to talk about his excellence," Blake said. "He's just unbelievable. Steps it up even more in finals." Blake entered with a No. 8 ranking, but will finish the year at a career-high No. 4.

Blake was overcome in the first set. He sat in his courtside chair with his shaved head in hands, likely wondering what to do next. In the second set, he had a breakpoint chance in the third game and rifled a deep return at the baseline. But Federer picked up the half-volley on his backhand side and turned it into a winner, leaving Blake shrugging at the net.

from Roger Federer Official Site:
Q. Roger, you played a magnificent final. Could you tell us about it?

“From the first two games on I felt this could turn out to be a very good day for me. I hit the balls well; especially backhand long-line where I felt very confident. I was sure from an early point on that I was playing particularly well. After that, I managed to hold a high level during the entire match – which is actually my greatest satisfaction. The way I played from the baseline is actually quite unbelievable, just about everything I tried worked. The final was definitely one of the best matches of my career, maybe even my best.”

Q. With this victory you have crowned a fantastic season. Maybe even your best?

Nov 18, 2006 from Reuters:
SHANGHAI - Roger Federer asserted his dominance of men's tennis by beating world number two Rafael Nadal 6-4 7-5 on Saturday to reach the final of the Masters Cup for the fourth year in a row.

The 25-year-old Swiss produced an imperious performance to get past the fired-up Spaniard and will play either David Nalbandian or James Blake on Sunday.

Nadal put everything he had into the match but was always chasing the world number one after being broken in his first service game.

Federer wrapped up the contest with a sublime running crosscourt winner from the tightest of angles on his third match point after one hour 53 minutes to extend his winning streak to 28 games. Federer was delighted at the shot and fell to his knees before punching the air in celebration.

The Swiss becomes the first man to reach four successive Masters Cup finals since Ivan Lendl reached nine in a row in the 1980s.

Federer started in intimidating style with three aces in his first service game and had a 3-0 lead and a break point in game four before Nadal could get his act together.

The muscular lefthander broke back when Federer's serve fell apart at 5-3 but the Australian, Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion went a set up in the next game when Nadal netted under pressure on three straight points after some lengthy rallies.

Nov 16, 2006 from Tennis Masters Cup:
Roger Federer claimed a semi-final spot at the Tennis Masters Cup on Thursday as he pounded Ivan Ljubicic for an eighth straight time to finish round-robin play undefeated at 15-0 through his career to date.

The Swiss world No. 1 confirmed his weekend booking as he defeated Croatian Ljubicic 7-6 (7-2), 6-4. He closed out victory with his seventh ace. Federer became the first player to win 90 matches in a season since Ivan Lendl won 106 in 1982, extended his winning streak to 27 matches.

Federer lost the first game of the match against Ljubicic, but quickly put that mis-step right with an early break-back. He claimed the set on the first of four set points.

Nov 15, 2006 from Tennis Masters Cup:
It has been revealed that Roger Federer will be part of "People" magazine's popular "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. Federer is included in the issue in a section of the magazine devoted to "Sexy Surroundings." The 25-year-old Federer shows off Basel, Switzerland, the town where he first got involved with tennis as a ball boy at the city's ATP event. The "Sexiest Man Alive" issue of "People" hits streets in the U.S. on Friday, Nov. 17.

from Reuters:
MIYAZAKI, Japan - Tiger Woods has revealed a secret desire to knock Roger Federer off court if he gets the chance to play his new friend at tennis.

Federer watched Woods play at last week's Champions Tournament in Shanghai on Thursday before visiting the American's rented house for dinner. However, Woods's competitive streak surfaced on Wednesday when asked by Reuters if he would fancy playing Federer at tennis.

"Without a doubt," smiled Woods, who is in Japan for the defence of his Dunlop Phoenix title this week. "I would love to have a hit with him and see if I can knock him off the court."

Woods added: "Roger came out and watched on Thursday, went back for a hit... and then came out with (girlfriend) Mirka to the house we were staying at for dinner that night."

Woods has described Federer as someone who is able to relate to how it feels being labelled as arguably the best ever in their sport. "We try and spend as much time as we can together if we are in the same city," the 12-times major winner said.

"Our schedules were pretty busy (in Shanghai) but Thursday was free which was great so we were able to hang out and spend some time."

Nov 14, 2006 from AP:
SHANGHAI - Roger Federer saved three match points and beat Andy Roddick 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4 in the Masters Cup. Roddick had been serving in the second-set tiebreaker before his biggest weapon misfired once.

Federer extended his unbeaten sequence in round-robin matches at the season-ending championship to 14. Federer improved to 12-1 against Roddick and has beaten him the last eight times.

Roddick won the first set after breaking in the third game on Federer's double-fault. Federer failed in a hawk-eye appeal against a wide second serve. Roddick had more break points in game five and served up four straight bombs to save his own serve in the next game, winning the set after saving another break point in game 10.

In the second, Federer saved another break point at 2-2 and had Roddick on the ropes at 5-4, but the American escaped three break points. Roddick had match points at 6-4 in the tiebreaker before he missed his first serve. Federer jumped on the second serve, trying a passing shot on the backhand side before putting away a forehand winner. Federer won the next three points and then lost two to give Roddick another match point, needing a service winner to save. On Federer's second set point, Roddick leaped for an overhead and smashed it long.

from Tennis Masters Cup:
Roger Federer became the first player – man or woman – to earn $7 million prize money in a single season today when he defeated Andy Roddick in round robin play at the $4.45 Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai.

Federer, who pocketed $120,000 for today's win to take his running Shanghai total to $310,000, has now won $7,133,885 in 2006. Federer could add an additional $1.21 million for a season total of $8,343,885 if he goes on to become the undefeated Tennis Masters Cup champion. Last year Federer earned $6,357,547, just shy of Pete Sampras' then-record season haul of $6,498,311, set in 1997.

If Federer wins the Tennis Masters Cup title for the third time in four years he will also set a new record for the most INDESIT ATP Rankings points held at any time by a player. Currently with 7,620 points, Federer would move to 8,370, topping his own record total of 8,120, set on October 30 this year.

By beating Roddick, Federer extended his winning streak to 26 matches, equaling the second-longest winning streak of his career. (His record 35-match winning streak was broken in last year's Tennis Masters Cup final). The Swiss is looking to become the first man since Thomas Muster in 1995 to win 12 titles in a season.

from China Daily:
Following his revenge against David Nalbandian on Sunday, Roger Federer now wants to emulate Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl by becoming only the third man to win five Masters Cup titles.

"I do have different goals in my mind," said the sizzling Swiss. "I hope to be the one just like Sampras to have five championships in the pocket. It is on the top of my career list. I am fighting for it on court and I always try my best to break the record like that."

In a poll conducted by China's Sina.com, 82.83% of fans believe Federer would be crowned at the championships in Shanghai, while only 6.2% think Rafael Nadal had the chance to win the year-ending finale.

"I came to Shanghai last year with injuries, but I have 100 per cent confidence in my health situation this year," Federer said. "Fitness wise, I am perfect. There are no concerns over ankles, knees and so on after such a demanding season. I just can't wait to have the toughest match on the court."

Having advanced to finals in 15 of 16 tournaments he played this season, the Swiss has clinched an ATP-best 11 titles with an awesome 87-5 won-lost record.

"I could say the season is the best one for me ever in my career," he said. "I can not expect a better year as I've grown so much this season. I would love that the streaks go on and on and on, just like what Sampras did a couple of years ago. I feel it is great honour every time I hear people compare me with him."

Despite his pure admiration of the American, Federer has already won a bevy of achievements that Sampras never had. He became the first player in tennis history to win at least 10 titles for three straight years and also had the pleasure being the first to reach all four Grand Slam finals in a year since Rod Laver in 1969.

"I enjoyed the winning flow so much," he said. "I always lost to some of my current opponents in junior tournaments so now it is a special feeling to turn it around."

Facing the invincible Federer is a task many players find daunting. Other players at the tournament agreed there was "only one possible way" to beat him.

"Get him drunk," joked world No 4 Ivan Ljubicic, who has lost to the Swiss for six consecutive times in the past two seasons. "To have two bottles of beer with him and make him dizzy before the match, probably I will have some chances."

from Reuters:
SEOUL - Tennis fans in South Korea are snapping up tickets for next week's exhibition match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Organizers said the hardcourt event at Chamsil Gymnasium in southern Seoul on November 21 had attracted huge interest and that thousands of tickets had been booked weeks in advance. "A total of 4,000 designated and 900 special seats are sold out as of today," Lee Seung-hwan, head of the company hosting the event, told Yonhap news agency on Tuesday.

Nov 13, 2006 from Tennis Masters Cup:
Roger Federer was presented with the INDESIT ATP 2006 Race trophy by Marco J. Rota, marketing director of the Indesit company, at the Qi Zhong Stadium on Monday. It marks the third consecutive season the Swiss player has finished the year as the ATP World No. 1.

"Another fantastic year is almost over - I have one more week to go," Federer said. "I'm happy to be back after last year, when I had all the trouble with my foot."

At the presentation ceremony, Rota said: "Tennis is one of the best expressions of the Indesit spirit, the young, dynamic, international brand of Indesit Company. It is therefore an honor for us to be able to present Roger Federer with the INDESIT ATP 2006 Race trophy. Roger is not only an authentic talent and true champion on the tennis court, he is also a symbol of great generosity outside the sphere of sport."

Nov 11, 2006 from BBC:
Roger Federer believes he will have to be at his best if he is to reclaim the season-ending Masters Cup crown. Federer faces David Nalbandian in Sunday's Shanghai opener but says any one of the eight players can win the title.

The 2003 and 2004 champion said: "This is one of the toughest Masters Cup I've played. It's open as everyone has something great in his game. I see danger written all over the event, that's why I had to be ready."

Unlike last year's injury-hit finale, the tournament features the top eight players in the world. If the event goes to form Federer, the world number one, should face Rafael Nadal in the final but Federer is refusing to look beyond his opener with Nalbandian.

Nov 9, 2006 from AFP:
SHANGHAI - Tiger Woods may have had a frustrating day at the office here but he finished on a high after his close friend and fellow sporting champion Roger Federer turned up to watch. Federer took time out from his preparations for the season-ending Masters Cup to watch Woods play most of the back nine on the opening day of the HSBC Champions tournament.

Woods shot an even-par 72 for the day, a round he described as "very frustrating", but he said afterwards he had felt honored that Federer had come to watch him. "Roger's a great guy. We've become pretty good friends. And for him to come out here and watch and support is special," Woods told reporters shortly after having a five-minute chat with Federer in the clubhouse.

The budding friendship between the world number ones of tennis and golf first hit the headlines in September when Woods traveled to Flushing Meadows to watch Federer win the US Open final against Andy Roddick. Federer said then he had felt extra nerves with Woods in the audience and joked that he would like to return the favor and put some pressure on Tiger by turning up at a golf tournament in the future.

Indeed it looked as if Woods may have been distracted when Federer arrived at the Sheshan International Golf Course. Playing the front nine second, Woods had just fired two birdies on his 11th and 12th holes when Federer turned up, with the pair shaking hands at the 13th.

After that Woods struggled with two bogeys on his 15th and 17th holes to close with an even-par 36 on the back nine. Woods did not say that Federer had been the cause of his stuttering end but he jokingly hinted at some disappointment at not playing better, comparing his performance with the tennis champion's effort in the US Open final.

from ASAP Sports:
Q. And Roger Federer came out today to watch you.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, that guy is all right, too. Roger is a great guy. We've become pretty good friends and it's great of him to come out here and watch and support. It's special. He's getting ready for a tournament here on Sunday. He starts Sunday and he's going to go back out right now it's nice for him to come out.

Q. Did you know he was going to come out?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, we talked about it.

Q. Good buzz with Roger there today?

TIGER WOODS: Roger is one of my friends, so it's nice to see him out here following and watching. More importantly, it's nice to see him out here because he's obviously getting ready for his event on Sunday, and nice of him to take some time out to come and watch me smash it around a little bit.

Q. When did you become aware he was on the course?

TIGER WOODS: I was on the 12th and I saw him drive up. I knew he was coming out; we talked about it.

Q. When he put his finger up, No. 1 golfer in the world

TIGER WOODS: He's pretty good.

Q. With a reaction like that

TIGER WOODS: Well, he played well. I smash it around all over the place. But more importantly, we've gotten to know each other, and it's not too often that you can relate to someone going through certain things, and we both can. It's nice to be able to talk to someone like that.

Q. Can you learn anything from Roger?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I need to get my backhand a little bit better. (Laughter) Can't quite I'm not taking it early enough, you know.

As I said, we do talk quite a bit and it's kind of nice to pick each other's brains about certain things, because I've been lucky enough to get to know Michael Jordan pretty well and become great friends with him. You start relating to what some of the things you've got to go through in preparing and distractions to get you to the top; and once you're there, to keep moving forward. Roger and I, I've had a lot of fun conversations with him.

Q. Will you play a round of golf with him?

TIGER WOODS: I've love to play golf with him actually I'd love to play tennis with him.

Q. How many shots would you give him?

Nov 8, 2006 from Shanghai Daily:
Roger Federer will face David Nalbandian in the first round of the Masters Cup in Shanghai, as the two opponents were drawn for the Red Group this afternoon. Also participating in the Red Group is Ivan Ljubicic and Andy Roddick. The Gold Group will be led by the No. 2 ranked Rafael Nadal, Nikolay Davydenko, James Blake and Tommy Robredo.

from AFP:
SHANGHAI - Roger Federer said he hoped to find time for a beer with Tiger Woods while both are in Shanghai this weekend. Federer is playing in the Masters Cup while Woods is here for the HSBC Champions tournament. "Maybe, if we have a chance, we may go out for a beer," Federer said.

from Tennis-X:
Roger Federer hit some balls with Bjorn Borg in Dubai last week.

from SI.com:
Brandon Moglen of Los Angeles notes that the difference in ranking points between world No. 1 Federer (8,120) and No. 2 Nadal (4,270) is 3,850 -- or the equivalent to the amount of ranking points between Rafa and No. 98 Danai Udomchoke. Another way to explain Federer's dominance -- you could subtract all of No. 3 Nalbandian's points (2,850) from Federer's total -- and Federer would still be No. 1 in the world by 1,000 points.

Nov 7, 2006 from United States Sports Academy:
DAPHNE, Ala. - Roger Federer earned Male Athlete of the Month honors for October by the United States Sports Academy.

Federer was named male Athlete of the Month after winning the Swiss Indoors, Madrid Masters and Japan Open in one month. He edged out World Series Most Valuable Player, David Eckstein. The St. Louis Cardinal shortstop earned Series MVP honors with clutch hits, consistent defense and by hitting .364 in the series despite in 0-for-11 start. Finishing third in the male balloting was Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who orchestrated his team to a perfect record by completing 98-of-135 passes for 1,070 yards and 10 touchdowns with one interception in four October games.

from Roger Federer Official Site:
Dear fans,

As you can see I have had the privilege of meeting and playing some tennis with one of the greatest legends of our sport: Björn Borg! I have always been interested in the history of the game and his is certainly a name you come across very often in this regard. So it was a dream come true for me to spend around an hour on the court with Björn. Upon my stay in Dubai on my way to Shanghai, I saw that a senior exhibition called ‘The legends rock Dubai’ was being held. Björn Borg was there along with John McEnroe, Mansour Bahrami and others. I asked him if he would like to play some tennis with me and it was terrific!

The tournament in Shanghai is moving closer rather rapidly. It’s great to have prepared for the Masters Cup quietly in Dubai. I’m looking forward to this year’s final challenge!

from Reuters:
BERN, Switzerland - Roger Federer has decided not to take part in the opening round of next season's Davis Cup. Switzerland and Spain have been drawn against each other in a tie to be played on February 9-11.

"The reasons are the same as for the last two seasons," Swiss tennis association spokesman Daniel Monnin said. "He wants to concentrate on retaining his number one status and on defending his titles at important tournaments, including the Grand Slams.

from Shanghai Daily:
Roger Federer arrived in Shanghai yesterday afternoon, among the earliest of the elite bunch of players to fly into the city for the season-ending tournament. He's here to get his hands on the Tennis Masters Cup, which starts on Sunday.

In response to a reporter, Federer said he would arrange his schedule so he could watch the HSBC Champions event in the city's south Sheshan area, where his friend Tiger Woods, the golf world's No.1, will be playing. Tiger Woods and his wife went to cheer for him during this September's US Open. As a return, Federer would invite Woods to have a drink in the city. Woods is scheduled to fly in today.

The top-seeded of the US$5 million tennis tournament talked a little about his arrival at Pudong International Airport yesterday. "I came to Shanghai last year with injuries, but I have 100 per cent confidence in my health situation this year."

"Fitness-wise, I am perfect," enthused Federer. "There are no concerns over ankles, knees and so on after such a demanding season. I just can't wait to hit the first ball on the court."

from ASAP Sports:
Q. You are good friends with Michael Jordan and also the No. 1 tennis player, Roger Federer, you are also good friends with him. Mr. Federer is competing in the Masters in Shanghai this week, will you be having any opportunity to go and watch him play or is he coming to watch you play? The tournament starts on Sunday.

TIGER WOODS: Busy on Sunday. (Laughter).

Nov 6, 2006 from Shanghai Daily:
Roger Federer will arrive in Shanghai this afternoon for the upcoming Masters Cup, along with his girl friend and agent Mirka Vavrinec, Youth Daily reported today. Federer was supposed to arrive in Shanghai last Wednesday, but his fourth visit to the city was postponed to a week later when he received an invitation from the organizing committee of the Masters Cup in Paris last week. The organizing committee of the cup in Shanghai revealed that the entourage of the top-seeded player will not be as grand as last year's, which contained nine companions, including his mother and sister.

Nov 3, 2006 from Tennis Week:
Gillette is currently recruiting Roger Federer and several standout athletes in other sports to star in a "Champions" ad campaign focusing on some of the most famous faces in sports, according to a published report in The SportsBusiness Journal written by Terry Lefton. Federer and French soccer star Thierry Henry are already on board for the planned Champions commercials.

"Gillette plans to launch the Champions marketing platform worldwide in January or February, meaning that in the United States a Super Bowl launch is a real possibility," reports The SportsBusiness Journal.

Nov 2, 2006 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Roger's partnership with Jura, the Swiss leader in fully automatic household coffee machines, is now being communicated all over the world with a stylish campaign. Communicating the message of their common values across the world: performance, precision, prestige and passion for excellence, the campaign is a real treat. Take a look at the website which brings you closer to the two worlds, containing the campaign as well as its making of. Enjoy!

Nov 1, 2006 from Telegraph:
By John Inverdale - It is surely time to ask the Swiss police to raid Roger Federer's home. They probably won't find a heap of bodies concealed beneath the floorboards of his conservatory, and to the best of my knowledge his tax affairs are all in order. But there must be something, somewhere in his world that takes the gloss off his extraordinary and well-deserved reputation as just about the perfect sportsman.

If nothing else, there must be a stray copy of Black Lace's Agadoo lurking in his record collection, although even that's unlikely as he was only two years old when it was released.

from Tennis.com:
By Kamakshi Tandon - It wouldn't have been fun to lose one of your first jobs because you didn't have the right figure. A week after winning a Madrid tournament stocked with model ballgirls, Roger Federer finally triumphed at his hometown tournament in Basel, where the ballkids are still kids and where Federer himself was once a ballboy.

After the final, Federer stayed on court and handed out medals to the ballkids, describing it as the most moving moment of the week because he remembered getting the same medals when he was young. He also took care of another tradition dating back to those days, ordering pizza for the ballcrew and sharing a slice with them.