He goes by many names.
Some
know him as “The Swiss Maestro.” Others
refer to him as the great “Fedmeister.” A
large portion of the tennis community know him simply as “The Best.”
His
name is Roger Federer. Perhaps you’ve heard of him?
Ever
since he first stepped onto a professional tennis court in 1998, spectators and
announcers alike have noticed something special about him. His demeanor, his
confidence, his playing style, all were significantly different from the
players that preceded him. The way he moved on the court was…well…
indescribable. Prominent journalist David Foster Wallace memorably stated that
when one watches Federer, “the jaw drops and eyes protrude and sounds are made
that bring spouses in from the other rooms to see if you’re O.K.” (Wallace).
Roger
Federer is undoubtedly the greatest male player professional tennis has ever
seen. A lofty statement, I know. However, when one looks at the statistics,
off-court influence, and overall impact on the sport, it becomes abundantly
clear that he is the best.
When
discussing tennis prowess, Grand Slam titles are clearly of most importance. To
those unfamiliar with tennis terms, there are four events that are collectively
known as the “Grand Slam tournaments.” These illustrious tournaments include
the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. While several
dozen ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) tournaments are held over the
course of the year, none are more prestigious than these tourneys, especially
Wimbledon. The winners must endure a rigorous two weeks and win seven
consecutive best-of-five-set matches to be declared the victor. Needless to
say, winning a Grand Slam tournament is no easy task. The majority of
professional tennis players never attain such an ambitious accomplishment. With
that being said, Roger Federer has acquired 17 Grand Slam titles over the
course of his career (Chase).
Yes,
17.
That
is the current professional tennis record, and many are unsure if it will ever
be broken.
In tennis, there are three main surfaces of which courts are
made: grass (Wimbledon), clay (Roland Garros), and hard (U.S. Open, Australian
Open). Generally, professional tennis players adhere to only one or two
surfaces, referring to themselves as “specialists”. Rafael Nadal, for example,
is one of the most renowned clay-court specialists in this era. Additionally, Pete
Sampras was known primarily for his expertise on grass courts. With his victory
at Roland Garros in 2009, Roger Federer has successfully won all four of the
Grand Slams at least once, on each of the three court surfaces (Cash). The fact
that Roger was able to win all of the Major tournaments, despite the varying
surfaces, further confirms his dominance and mastery. Federer’s success at the
most prestigious of tournaments definitely gives credence to his status as the
greatest of all time.
In
addition to his exceptional prowess on the court, Roger Federer is known for
his exemplary sportsmanship and quality example to the public. According to
Nike officials, he is the fifth most marketable athlete in the world (ESPN’s
World Fame 100), only coming behind international soccer stars Ronaldo, Messi,
Neymar, and of course, Cleveland Cavalier Lebron James. Although stemmed mainly
from his tennis success, this marketability is also due to his public persona
as the stereotypical “family man.” Federer has been faithfully and happily married
to his wife, Mirka, for over seven years (Amato). Not only that, Roger is also a
terrific father to not one, but TWO sets of twins (Amato). His family can
always be seen in the stands during his matches, eagerly supporting their
husband and father. In addition, Federer’s sportsmanship is consistently on
full-display before, during, and after his matches. Regardless of the mental
and physical energy expended during a match, “The Swiss Maestro” has never refrained from shaking his opponent’s
hand, win or lose.
Federer has always displayed nothing but love and healthy
respect for his opponents. In fact, Roger was recently present for the opening
of Rafael Nadal’s new tennis academy, despite the heated rivalry they have shared
for the last decade (Eckstein). In addition, Roger congratulated Andy Murray
via Twitter for the Brit’s recent acquisition of the number one ranking in professional
men’s tennis (Lee). Perhaps the most
telling detail regarding Federer’s altruism and integrity is the fact that he
has been the recipient of the ATP’s “Fan Favourite” award for the last fourteen
years (Kim). In addition, he has received the ATP’s “Sportsmanship” award for twelve
years, an honor given and selected by fellow players on the tour (Kim). He has
been playing the sport for eighteen years, so that should be a good indication
of the love the tennis community has for “The
Swiss Maestro.”
The Swiss has also founded his own charitable agency, the
Roger Federer Organization. His charity strives to improve and construct schools
in third-world countries (“Mission”). In recent years, he has succeeded in
significantly cultivating the education systems
in six nations of southern Africa, as well as in his home country of
Switzerland (“Mission”). Roger Federer is the greatest player in the history of
professional tennis, not only for his skill on the court, but also for his
impeccable off-court activities and endeavors.
Occasionally,
an athlete comes along who redefines the game. Their name is synonymous with
success and greatness. For basketball, that athlete is Michael Jordan. For
swimming, it is Michael Phelps. For tennis, it is clearly Roger Federer. He has a household name, one that even
non-tennis fans will recognize. Tennis has always been somewhat popular on a
global scale, but has always been in the inescapable shadow of sports like
soccer and basketball. However, ever since Roger Federer began his career
nearly 20 years ago, the sport of tennis has enjoyed a widespread increase in
popularity. From the years 2000 to 2008, at the height of Federer’s career,
tennis experienced an increase of participation of an astonishing 43 percent
(“Tennis Fastest Growing…”). Federer has enjoyed
relatively good health throughout most of his vocation. This has allowed him to
be a regular, consistent face at the Grand Slam events. However, Federer has recently
fallen victim to some unfortunate injuries. As a result, he was required to
miss Roland Garros and the U.S. Open in 2016, his first time missing a Slam for
16 years. There was a noticeable drop in international viewership due to his
absence (Tandon). This year’s U.S. Open final between Novak Djokovic and Stan
Wawrinka had only 1.7 million viewers (Tandon). In contrast, last year’s final
between Djokovic and Federer had an astounding 2.4 million viewers (Tandon).
The Swiss’s class and charm has caused an excess of people
to become enamored with him and his playing style. Many believe that if Federer
is not participating, there is no point in watching. Even other prominent
players have noticed the effect his temporary absence has had on the sport. At
the U.S. Open this year, Roger’s long-time rival Rafael Nadal said that, “Roger
today is having the same injury issues, so I wish him a fast recovery…It is
very tough to see [Roger] outside of the tour. The fans miss [him], the tour
needs the players.”(AFP). In addition, Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic
explained that, “It's not the same when you don't have Roger for the tournament,
for the fans. He's been one of the most popular players of all time, one of the
most successful players of all time” (AFP). As demonstrated by the participation
and viewership statistics, as well as profound statements from several
prominent players, none have had a more positive impact on the sport of tennis
than Roger Federer.
As expected, Roger Federer is
not the only contender for the coveted title of “greatest of all time.”
Throughout tennis’s extensive history, several players have risen above the
rest and established themselves as all-time greats. Among these legends are
names like Rod Laver, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, and many others. However, when
included in the discussion of the “GOAT” (greatest of all time), two names in
particular are recurring: Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras.
Let’s
start with Rafael. Of all the players that Federer has played in his
illustrious career, only Nadal seems to give him consistent trouble. In fact,
Nadal leads Federer 23-11 in their head-to-head matchups (“Head 2 Head…”).
Nadal also substantially leads their head-to-head record in Grand Slam
tournaments, 9-2 (“Head 2 Head…”). So why, given their history, is Nadal not
considered the best tennis player in history? Should Federer be considered the
greatest, even if he’s arguably not even the best in his era?
Despite
the few statistics working in Nadal’s favor, he has only won 14 Grand Slam
titles, compared to Roger’s 17. Of those 14 titles, a whopping 9 of them have
been at Roland Garros, on the red clay. Although Nadal is undeniably the “King
of Clay”, the title “Greatest of All Time” is a bit premature. His 5 titles in
the other 3 Grand Slams show that he has not yet mastered all three surfaces.
Not like Federer.
Pete
Sampras’s career tells a similar story. He too won only 14 Grand Slam titles.
14 championships is indeed a spectacular feat, but compared to Federer’s 17, it
appears lackluster and mediocre. The two legends have played only once in their
career, in the fourth round of Wimbledon 2001. A young, bright-eyed Roger
Federer was tasked with facing a seasoned Pete Sampras, who had already won the
tournament SEVEN times (“Federer Ends Sampras Reign”). Against all odds,
Federer beat the veteran in a thrilling five-set match (“Federer Ends Sampras
Reign”). Many see this moment as the primary launching point of the Swiss’s
career, and conversely, the beginning of decline for “Pistol” Pete Sampras. To
make matters worse for Sampras, he never managed to capture the elusive white
whale: a title at Roland Garros. In fact, he rarely even made it to the quarterfinals
of the French event. Although their resumes are extremely impressive, and they
are indisputably legends of the sport, neither Nadal or Sampras qualify for the
coveted top spot. That position is held by Roger Federer alone.
Now
it is time to address the massive elephant in the room: the recent remarkable
success of Novak Djokovic. The Serbian has won 6 of the last 10 Grand Slam
titles, including a convincing victory at Roland Garros. With that win, he
joins a very exclusive club of players who have won all four Grand Slam
tournaments at least once in their careers (Ward-Henninger) Djokovic won 4 in a
row, (from Wimbledon 2015 to Roland Garros 2016) to become one of only two
people to hold all four titles at the
same time. Not even Roger Federer has done that.
However,
in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Novak Djokovic has only won 12 slams to
Roger’s 17. Many are jumping the gun, too quick to label Djokovic as the GOAT.
It’s true, he may be worthy of that title, someday, but as of right now, it’s
too early to tell.
In
addition, Novak’s style is… well… boring.
His shot-making technique is too basic, too rudimentary (Rebucan). True, he
wins games, but compared to Federer, his racket may as well be a potato.
Federer looks like a wizard on the court, “waving his Wilson wand” with an
unprecedented amount of elegance and grace (Koenig). Djokovic will never have
that, not even if he wins a hundred Grand Slam titles. Although Djokovic has
accomplished some remarkable things in his career, at this point in time, he
simply cannot be designated as the
best.
When
you look at Roger Federer’s countless accomplishments, the reality and
truthfulness of his dominance becomes quite clear. The Fed has attained 17 Grand Slam titles, an unparalleled amount that
may never be matched or exceeded. He has won each of the Grand Slam tournaments
at least once, including Wimbledon, the most prestigious, SEVEN times. Throughout
his career, he has been an extraordinary example to the public, and has
displayed nothing but healthy respect and good sportsmanship to his opponents.
When compared to all-time greats like Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras, and Novak
Djokovic, his statistics adequately hold their own and make him the clear
superior over each of them. And perhaps most importantly, he has left a lasting
impact on the sport of tennis, incomparable to all others preceding him.
Federer has single handedly brought thousands of fans to the sport with his
whimsical, beautiful, and precise style of play. Someday in the near future, Roger
will serve his last ball, win his last set, shake his last hand. However, when
that day inevitably comes, “The Swiss
Maestro” will rest easy, knowing that because of him, tennis is just a
little bit better.
