"Slamming" Critics of Roger Federer

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.