Even as Roger Federer closes in on a 16th grand slam crown at the US Open, a feat that would vault him two clear of Pete Sampras on the all-time leaderboard, support for Rod Laver as arguably the greatest tennis player in history continues.

Intensifies in fact.

Somewhat fittingly on the 40th anniversary of Laver’s second calendar-year grand slam sweep – but also slightly ill-timed for Federer approaching what would be another remarkable achievement – statistics have emerged to enhance the Rockhampton Rocket’s already-strong claims.

Keen students of the game have long recognised that Laver’s “lost years” from 1963-67, when he was outlawed from the four annual majors for turning professional, cost the mighty Australian left-hander many, many grand slam titles.

Having won four straight majors – although against amateurs remember – before his ban and five of the first seven after being reinstated in 1968, it is reasonable to suggest Laver might have added at least half a dozen more to his final tally of 11 during his five-year banishment.

Backers of Federer, and indeed Sampras and Bjorn Borg – the other two names which invariably pop up in the never-ending debate – are reluctant to grant Laver many more than that because had he been eligible to contest the slams so would the other great professionals of his era like Pancho Gonzalez and Australia’s Ken Rosewall and Lew Hoad.

In fact, there are some old-timers, followers of the game during Australia’s halcyon days of the 1950s and 60s, who will argue that Gonzalez, Rosewall, Hoad or even Frank Sedgman may have been the greatest player to have graced a court.

Veteran American columnist Dave Anderson, though, certainly is not one of them.

Anderson has unearthed some interesting statistics in the hope that Laver’s record will not be forgotten, or even diminished, as the tennis history book becomes increasingly like Federer’s personal diary, with the Swiss penning new chapters almost every time he steps on court.

Anderson notes in the New York Times that Laver’s reported head-to-head record against Gonzalez (38-21), Rosewall (62-49) and Hoad (37-16) proves that the only player to twice complete calendar-year slams did in fact dominate the very best of his contemporaries.

Other than the obvious absence of a calendar-year sweep, the only other blemish on Federer’s near-impeccable CV is, of course, an unfavourable 7-13 record against his Spanish nemesis Rafael Nadal.

Non-believers ask how Federer can be considered the greatest player of all-time when, while at the height of his powers, he has still lost to Nadal almost twice as many times as he has beaten his fiercest rival.

Not wishing to get too bogged down in statistics, though, Anderson also reminisced in a quirky way about another reason why Laver was so special.

“After learning to play on an ant-bed court his father built on the family’s cattle ranch in Rockhampton, Australia, prompting his “Rocket” nickname, he accomplished (everything) with a left arm so much larger than his right arm that it appeared deformed,” he wrote.

“At Laver’s first United States Open, in 1968, I measured his left arm out of curiosity. His wrist was seven inches around, an inch more than his right wrist.

“His forearm was 12 inches around, an inch and a half more than his right forearm.

“His left forearm was the same size as that of the heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, an inch and a half larger than that of Floyd Patterson.

“With that arm, Laver can flick the ball,” Bill Talbert, a US Davis Cup captain said at the time.

“He can wait til the last second to hit the ball.”

Flick it just as perhaps only Federer really can in this day and age.

But just as they share a deadly flick of the wrist, their equally humble nature is why you will probably never hear Federer or Laver weighing into this great debate.

Asked recently how many majors he might have won during his “lost years”, the modest Laver laughed and said: “I don’t figure those things out”.

Like Federer, who leaves the judgement to others, Laver lets his record speak for itself.

Federer, though, was only too happy to judge Laver when asked this week to put the Australian’s two calendar-year slams into perspective.

“Amazing achievement, no doubt about it,” said Federer, who finally completed his career slam this year with a cherished French Open triumph.

“Back then, things were obviously very different to the way they are today. But, nevertheless, the achievement was as great, I think.

“He is a wonderful person, too. He conducts himself very well. I think he is an inspiration and a role model for even our generation today.”

Indeed, as the first tennis player to bank $US1 million in prize money, Laver’s success and tough decision to sacrifice his amateur career to help the game grow professionally, no doubt paved the way for Federer to this week become the first to reach $US50 million in on-court earnings.

Not that money, once they have enough, matters so much to the modern-day elite.

Federer, at 28, now counts slams more important than dollars – or Swiss francs.

And perhaps only when the all-conquering world No.1 can win all four in the same year will he finally, and deservedly, end the great debate once and for all.

© AAP 2012

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