Federer: Greatest Ever or Flash in the Pan?

Written by: Staff on 19th July 2012

Federer: Greatest Ever or Flash in the Pan?

epa03300963 Roger Federer of Switzerland kisses his trophy following the men's final match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 08 July 2012. EPA/JONATHAN BRADY |

There’s an old joke about die-hard sports fans. If you put three in a room you’ll wind up with four opinions. In fact, one fool-proof way to start a verbal brawl is to ask these fans who was the “Greatest of All Time” (GOAT) in their favorite sport. And then get out of the way and watch the fireworks. Tennis fanatics are no different.

Fresh from his recent Wimbledon victory, Roger Federer owns a record 17 Grand Slam titles, a Career Slam, and has been #1 in the world 287 weeks, and counting. So why would I have the temerity to suggest that Fed might be just a flash in the pan?

Number one, to get your attention. And number two, is to call for a temporary halt in the “Federer is the GOAT” bandwagon. Is it possible there are other candidates worthy of the honor? Let’s at least look at the usual suspects. (And one “unusual” one.)

Granted, Fed looks to be far and away the best of all time, notwithstanding his record against Rafael Nadal. The two have played 28 times, with Rafa leading 18–10. Nadal has won twelve of fourteen matches on clay and two out of three on grass. So let’s consider, just for a moment, Nadal as potentially the greatest of all-time. (After all he still has a number of prime years left.)

Rafa turned pro at 15 and at 17 beat Federer the first time they played. At 18 years and six months, he became the youngest player ever to register a singles victory in a Davis Cup final for a winning nation. He has won eleven Slams, including seven French titles (a record), the ‘08 Olympic gold and 21 Masters 1000 tournaments. (Also a record.) He completed the Career Slam by winning the 2010 U.S. Open, being the seventh player in history, and the youngest ever in the Open Era. Can he win 7 more slams? Would that make him the GOAT?

Of course, until just a few years ago, the tennis GOAT honor seemed to belong to Pete Sampras who won 14 Slams and was the year-end world no. 1 for six consecutive years (1993–1998), a record for the Open Era. His seven Wimbledon singles championships is a record he now shares with Fed.

Sampras’ five US Open titles is another record he shares with Federer and also Jimmy Connors. But a major “glitch” in Pete’s resume, is that he never won the French and only reached the semis once. Say this for Pete, however, he definitely knew how to leave on top, retiring after winning the U.S. Open in ’02, defeating Andre Agassi in the finals.

That brings us to our next GOAT candidate, Rod Laver, only now the debate gets slightly complicated. In 1962 Laver won the Calendar Grand Slam (4 majors in the same year), something neither Federer, nor Nadal has achieved, nor any male player since Don Budge in 1938.

But in ’63 Laver turned pro, and was excluded from the majors until the advent of the Open Era in 1968 when he once again won Wimbledon and got to the finals at Roland Garros. In ’69, he became the only player in history to win a second Calendar Slam. With 11 Slam titles, it can easily argued that for the five years (and 20 slams) when Laver was banned he might have won 10 more majors, especially given his dominance in the era. That would have brought Laver’s total to 21.

I know some may be saying about now, “woulda, shoulda, coulda,” but all I’m suggesting is it’s worth looking at the possibility. In retrospect, it strikes me so strange that tennis was a sport where its best competitors were prevented from making a living. (Other than under the table, referred to as “shamateurism.”)

This brings me to the most “unusual” suspect for GOAT consideration, Richard (Pancho) Gonzalez who won the U.S. Championships (precursor to the U.S. Open) in 1948 and 1949. In 1950, Pancho turned pro and during his heyday was #1 in the world for eight years. (Still a record) In fact Pancho was in the top 10 for a staggering twenty-five years.

When the Open Era arrived, Pancho was 40 and yet he managed to reach the semis of the French. He did so in ‘49 and then nineteen years later in ‘68! Who ever did that? (In the name of full disclosure, I may be slightly biased as I recently wrote a screenplay about Gonzalez’ life.)

Consider the demanding conditions of the era. When Pancho played he faced top stars every night as there were no “qualifiers” on the tour. And “days off” were spent driving to the next venue. Plus, being the first champion of color, Gonzalez also had to battle racism, which once, in Texas, almost got him killed.

Only months after winning his second Calendar Slam, Laver, 31, lost to Gonzalez, 41, in a winner-take-all match before 15,000 screaming fans at Madison Square Garden. And in 1971, when Pancho was 43, he defeated Jimmy Connors, one-month shy of 19, for the L.A. Open Championship. So fierce was Gonzalez’s competitive drive that years later Connors commented, “If I had to pick one man to play for my life, it’d be Pancho.”

The late Jack Kramer said that, during the 1950’s and early ’60’s, Gonzalez would have won 10 Slams between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open alone. Banned from 72 majors, it’s possible Pancho would have won twenty more slams. I know what you’re thinking, “And if my Aunt had b***s, she’d be my Uncle.” (Okay, maybe you weren’t thinking that.)

There are certainly many “what ifs.” if Borg hadn’t retired at 25; (many say caused McEnroe to lose interest); or if Agassi had taken tennis more seriously earlier, or if Connors had won the French, who knows who would be tennis’ GOAT.

Personally, in the end I think the nod has to go to Federer. (Certainly there’s never been a more elegant or classier champion.) But, given the inequity of the pre-Open Era, I contend that at least Laver and Gonzalez belong in the GOAT conversation. In the meantime, now I have to apologize to my Aunt.

Jack Neworth is a freelance writer in Santa Monica and co-author of the screenplay “Fury and Grace” about the life and times of Pancho Gonzalez. Jack can be reached at jnsmdp@aol.com

Topics: Greatest Of All Time, London Olympics, men tennis news, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Roger Federer fan, tennis writer, Wimbledon 2012, World Number 1