Roger Federer earned his first Olympic medal on the evening of 16 August 2008, pairing with Stanislas Wawrinka to claim gold in the men’s doubles at the Beijing Games. The Swiss team defeated Sweden’s Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson 6–3, 6–4, 6–7(4–7), 6–3 on the DecoTurf hardcourt at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre.
Two singles setbacks, one shared chance
Both men had already been knocked out of the singles tournament. Federer lost his semi-final to James Blake, while Wawrinka fell in the second round. The doubles draw gave them a fresh opening, and they seized it round by round.
An early break sets the tone
The final opened with the Swiss breaking serve early. Wawrinka slipped a reaching backhand down the line to go up 3–1. Federer served two consecutive aces to close the first set after the Swedes had rallied back to 5–3.
Switzerland took the second set on clean forehands and quick movement. But the Swedish pair fought back. Aspelin and Johansson broke in the third, forced a tiebreak, and won it 7–4.
A fourth-set finish under the lights
The Swiss answered immediately in the fourth set, breaking to lead 3–1. The Swedes picked up two more games but could not draw level. Federer served out the match in the sixth game, raised his racquet, then embraced Wawrinka at the net.
“We had played so well from the beginning to the end,” he told reporters afterwards. “We did it and I am unbelievably happy.”
A rare doubles journey ends in gold
Federer entered the Games ranked 352nd in doubles and had rarely played the format. He and Wawrinka began their partnership just months earlier in Toronto, yet they eliminated the top‑seeded Bryan brothers in the semi‑final. Two days later, Federer’s record 237‑week singles reign as world No. 1 passed to Rafael Nadal.
The gold compensated for the earlier singles loss and gave both men their first Olympic medal. For a player who would later finish with 20 Grand Slam singles titles, an Olympic crown earned alongside a compatriot stood as a distinct and lasting chapter.
