Federer's Flair Draws Criticism

It was unveiled at Wimbledon in 2006: a simple monogram on Roger Federer’s breast pocket that he flashed after he won the tournament. Since then, though, the stylized gold “RF” has become inescapable for tennis fans, some of whom consider Federer's flair a bit excessive. No longer confined to jackets, the logo appears on the tennis star’s shoes, bags, and even his belt. Federer joins close friend Tiger Woods as the only other athlete sponsored by Nike to be marketed by his initials. After he beat Andy Roddick in a blistering Wimbledon match and then pulled on a personalized jacket emblazoned with "15" on it—to commemorate his Glam Slam record—some argued the star had crossed a line. But Federer has never been known for his modesty (“It was such a historic day in tennis and me being the main character...” began his comments post-Wimbledon) and he's already on his way to a successful U.S. Open, as he blew past 18-year-old newcomer Devin Britton on Monday.