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Roger Federer

Back at world number 1 at the age of 36. The record was previously held by Agassi who was 33 when he last reached the top.

If there was any debate left then I don't think it can be disputed now: he's truly the greatest tennis player EVER.

Is he the greatest SPORTSMAN ever?
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Comments

  • No. Ali was greater.
  • edited February 2018
    Pedro45 said:

    No. Ali was greater.

    No he ain't, George Digweed is
  • Could make a case for either Federer or Ali really.

    Federer has won 20 grand slams, which is 10% of the entire history of grand slams since tennis turned professional.
    And the dedication to train every day for 20+ years, flying around the world to tournaments etc, is incredible.

    Ali would be the only one who can rival him i think. He should've retired after the Spinks fight though, the farcical fights against Homes and Berbick slightly ruined it
  • Is Federer free of scandal? I can't think of anything bad I've heard about him.

    He's always gracious in victory although, to be fair, he's had a lot of practice.

    He'd certainly get my vote as the greatest living sportsman but I couldn't compare him to others I've only read about, like Don Bradman.
  • Pedro45 said:

    No. Ali was greater.

    I could not agree with you more. Ali is out on his own, a distance clear of second. That second spot is competitive with (in my lifetime) Federer certainly in with a shout along with Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson.

    That doesn't detract from what Federer has achieved though and both as a sporstman and as a role model he is exemplary.
  • What about George Digweed?
  • bobmunro said:

    Pedro45 said:

    No. Ali was greater.

    I could not agree with you more. Ali is out on his own, a distance clear of second. That second spot is competitive with (in my lifetime) Federer certainly in with a shout along with Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson.

    That doesn't detract from what Federer has achieved though and both as a sporstman and as a role model he is exemplary.
    Ali probably is the greatest in the sense of achievement if only for the fact that he beat all the greats of his time and stood up for the right not to go to war.

    His record wasn't scandal free though - if it hadn't been for Angelo Dundee cutting his glove our 'enry would have beaten him! He was also the inventor and king of "trash talk" that now blights the sport.

    Federer is, however, in my opinion, the finest sportsman in the sense of achievement and grace in both victory and defeat. Hopefully he will know when the time is right to retire which, sadly, Ali didn't.

  • I couldn’t stand Federer when he first popped onto the scene with his floppy hair, cowbells and general smug and suaveness.

    But over the years have grown to appreciate him, I’d written him off years ago, and thought his career at the top level was finished.

    This guy keeps coming back to prove people wrong, I think there’s no greater sight in tennis than a Roger Federer forehand smash across court at the net, he must have spent an age perfecting it.

    It all went a bit wonky when he started wearing golden tracksuit tops and going all a bit blingy, I did love watching Borg as a kid so find it hard to put Roger above Borg, even though Federer has won more titles, both class acts.
  • No surprise there. He missed most if not all of it last year too.
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  • He clearly loves to play but clay is his least favourite surface. Can't blame him for picking and choosing his events at this stage. Doesn't appear to be doing him any harm lately!
  • Clay is not the surface for (relatively) old legs. I doubt he'll ever play a clay season again. I expect him to be very competitive at Wimbledon and is probably favourite. I'm sure he'd like to defend his Aussie title next January and I wouldn't be surprised if he retired after that.
  • Part of what makes Federer great is the quality of the opposition. Comparing him to Sampras, Federer has had to square off against the likes of Nadal, djokovic and Murray
  • McBobbin said:

    Part of what makes Federer great is the quality of the opposition. Comparing him to Sampras, Federer has had to square off against the likes of Nadal, djokovic and Murray

    And he started with finishing off Sampras.
  • Lost to an Australian, has anyone gloved up and searched him for yellow tape?
  • Riviera said:

    McBobbin said:

    Part of what makes Federer great is the quality of the opposition. Comparing him to Sampras, Federer has had to square off against the likes of Nadal, djokovic and Murray

    And he started with finishing off Sampras.
  • The greatest.
  • He’s the Pirlo of tennis. His finesse style means he can play on and on. Pirlo didn’t have to go to the US as he was still a cut above at 36.
  • What about George Digweed?

    Surely you must mean Perry Digweed?
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  • Just won his 100th ATP singles title. Only one man has won more...
  • Will he catch Connors only 9 away now


  • Welcome to the “ Triple Digit” tournament victory club @rogerfederer — I’ve been a bit lonely- glad to have the company !!!
  • Class from Jimbo, one of my favourite players. 
  • Riviera said:
    Class from Jimbo, one of my favourite players. 
    Proper knob I always thought as a kid , loved it when McEnroe whipped him in 1984 always thought he was a slimey git , yep he tried hard but a twunt .
    i was a Borg fan as I grew up .

  • Riviera said:
    Class from Jimbo, one of my favourite players. 
    Proper knob I always thought as a kid , loved it when McEnroe whipped him in 1984 always thought he was a slimey git , yep he tried hard but a twunt .
    i was a Borg fan as I grew up .

    Noooooo! 
     Jimbo was the original wild child, long before McEnroe. He pioneered innovations in tennis like moving away from the wooden racket and using the two handed backhand. McEnroe was my favourite player but was a dick sometimes and Jimbo pulled him up a few times and told him to behave. I loved it when he won Wimbledon in '82 at nearly 30 and then went on to win the US and a further 3 or 4 majors in the following few years. Always loved his incisive commentary at Wimbledon when he did it for a few years, better than McEnroe in the box. 
     Borg was just so boring.   
  • McEnroe was a prick and you knew what you got , Connors was a sly prick 
    borgs a charlton fan he’s gonna be boring ! 
  • Riviera said:
    Just won his 100th ATP singles title. Only one man has won more...
    Federer was a serial racket abuser as a teenager but managed to channel those energies into what he has become - the greatest tennis player of all time. Physically and mentally to still want to do it at the age of 37 is absolutely incredible.

    So many youngsters across every sport could learn so much from studying him. Someone like Nick Kyrgios for example.


  • Riviera said:
    Just won his 100th ATP singles title. Only one man has won more...
    Federer was a serial racket abuser as a teenager but managed to channel those energies into what he has become - the greatest tennis player of all time. Physically and mentally to still want to do it at the age of 37 is absolutely incredible.

    So many youngsters across every sport could learn so much from studying him. Someone like Nick Kyrgios for example.

    Maybe he has, just won the Mexico Open and beat Nadal en routé
  • Riviera said:
    Riviera said:
    Just won his 100th ATP singles title. Only one man has won more...
    Federer was a serial racket abuser as a teenager but managed to channel those energies into what he has become - the greatest tennis player of all time. Physically and mentally to still want to do it at the age of 37 is absolutely incredible.

    So many youngsters across every sport could learn so much from studying him. Someone like Nick Kyrgios for example.

    Maybe he has, just won the Mexico Open and beat Nadal en routé
    I'm not a fan of Feds, but tbf you couldn't accuse him of influencing Kyrios.
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