This question is posed every time I watch a tennis match on TV involving Roger Federer and some pundits are willing to award this title of best player of all time to Federer.
We all can understand that the press will have to be positive and cater to the ATP, the tournament directors and the sponsors to get their free passes. Nevertheless, with this kind of comments and write ups, they do a great disservice to their audiences and the sport of tennis, because they neither respect the record nor the great past performances from players such as; Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, Björn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, therefore totally ignoring history.
Recently at the Australian Open final press conference, Roger Federer admitted the genius tag sits comfortably with him.now;
"I mean, look, I guess I'm the best tennis player in the world," Federer said when asked how he reacts to the word genius being used to describe him and his sublime game.
"You can call me a genius because I'm outplaying many of my opponents, kind of maybe playing a bit different, you know, winning when I'm not playing my best. All of that maybe means a little bit of that. So it's nice."
Well what happened to humbleness in victory and in sports? That is another question for another article. The aim of this article is to put the question "Is Roger Federer in fact the best player of all time?", to rest. I could argue that any expert in the world; TV commentators, coaches, and others, would easily agree that, in tennis the younger you are, the harder it is to win against older opponents. Also younger players who have won major Grand Slam tournaments in any era, were true prodigies and perhaps since the word is so loosely applied these days you can call them even geniuses, if you will.
Following such guideline, and then looking at the record versus age the best player of all time is:
1- Björn Borg (SWE) Birthdate: 6-Jun-56
Between the ages of 17 and 25 years and 4 months old Björn Borg won (61) Singles Career Titles!
Roger Federer between the ages of 17 and 25 years and 4 months old won (45) Singles Career Titles, 16 less titles then Borg won!
Borg, won 6 Major Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros on clay 5 of them consecutive and 6 titles at Wimbledon on grass, 5 of them consecutive.
Roger Federer has won 0 Roland Garros and 4 Wimbledons, 2 Australian Opens, 3 US Opens.
Borg at 17 years old was finalist in 4 ATP events 1973--Buenos Aires, Monte Carlo, San Francisco, Stockholm!
Roger Federer at 17 years old in 1998- reached Toulouse quarter finals.
1 (Ex-aequo) - Rod Laver (AUS) Birthdate: 9-Aug-38
At 24 to 25 years old Rod Laver in 1962 won all four of tennis' Grand Slam singles titles in the same year the Australian Open - French Open - Wimbledon - US Open. At the end of 1962 to1968 when Rod Laver was at his prime, he was forbidden to play any Grand Slam tournaments because he turned professional.
Rod Laver is the only player in tennis history to have won twice All four of tennis' Grand Slam singles titles in the same year (Australian Open - French Open - Wimbledon - US Open) --first as an amateur in 1962, and then again as a professional in 1969.
Roger Federer (SUI) Birthdate: 8-Aug-81
Roger for example at age 25 years has not once won all 4 Grand Slams titles in a single calendar year!
Rod Laver has won (39) professional Singles Career Titles starting at age 30 years old (1968)!
If the press can call what Roger Federer is doing today "genius", I do not know what they would have called Rod Laver winning all 4 Grand Slam titles Australian Open - French Open - Wimbledon - US Open in a single year at age 31 years old!
Anyway, for me and I hope for you too, with all my respect, the question and speculation of who is or who was the best player of all time is answered. Until someone younger then Bjorn Borg achieves a better record, Björn Borg is the best player of all times! This does not mean that I vouch for Borg's tennis game, which I did not like at all, but his record for a young athlete and for any athlete of any age is absolutely awesome and unrivaled by his peers or any one player of our times!
Was Borg a genius? No, he was just an excellent tennis player!
Stay tuned in my next article, I will let you know why Roger Federer is winning so easily today and how.
Play the game with no fear!
Sérgio Cruz
P.S.- If you compare the players below Roger Federer, I suppose you could call them geniuses as well!
Ivan Lendl Birthdate: 7-Mar-60 - SINGLES CAREER TITLES (94)
18 years old 1978 Ranked ATP # 74
19 years old 1979 Ranked ATP # 21
20 years old 1980 ATP Ranked ATP # 6
Roger Federer (Sui) SINGLES CAREER TITLES (46)
17 year old 1998 Ranked ATP # 301
18 years old Ranked ATP # 65
19 years old Ranked ATP # 29
20 years old Ranked ATP # 13
Pete Sampras (USA) Birthdate: 12-Aug-71 SINGLES CAREER TITLES (64)
17 years old 1988 Ranked ATP # 97
18 years old 1989 Ranked ATP # 81
19 years old 1990 Ranked ATP # 5
20 years old 1991 Ranked ATP # 3
Jimmy Connors (USA) Birthdate: 2-Sep-52 SINGLES CAREER TITLES (105)
21 years old 1973 Ranked ATP # 3
References: ATP website
Björn Borg
Roger Federer
Rod Laver
Pete Sampras
Ivan Lendl
Jimmy Connors
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น