The fact that some people have been cheering on Roger Federer’s fall from the number one ranking is a little puzzling to me. I realise that familiarity breeds contempt, and all that sort of thing. But Federer is not exactly John Howard.
Nevertheless, after a little over four and a half years, Rafael Nadal has provided us with the other bookend to one of sports great achievements. And we can now look back on it, size it up, opine on its worth, and surmise as to what happens from here.
But before we go too far down that road, let’s get a bit of background.
Nobody doubts Federer’s achievements, but the done-to-death topic of contention is Federer’s place in the pantheon of the tennis greats. Less discussed is exactly what he is up against in his quest for the big chair. What are the other outstanding claims on this title that some of us are so keen to bestow of “The Greatest of All Time?”
Let’s start with a long list and see if it can be worked down. It works for the Booker Prize so why not here.
There have been plenty of great players in the Open era (1968 on), but I think it’s a safe bet to narrow it down to four: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Federer.
Of course, this leaves out the likes of Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker and Andre Agassi.
But they can’t all be there.
Then, of course, we throw in Rod Laver, who straddled the Amateur/Open era and spent a number of pre-Open years in the pro ranks. This enabled Roy Emerson, who remained amateur through the sixties, to stock up on Grand Slams.
But, alas, Emmo doesn’t make the cut either.
Nor, but only by a whisker, does Australia’s archetypal little battler of this period – Ken Rosewall.
Same goes with old froth-on-the-mo. Sorry, Newk.
One more of our own makes it, though: Lew Hoad, the athletic man’s man with the power game who fell agonisingly short of taking out a genuine Grand Slam in 1956 when, having won the Australian, French and Wimbledon titles, he was upset in the final of the US by Rosewall.
He was also Pancho Gonzales’ pick as the greatest ever.
Gonzales, the brooding loner who turned pro very young and so has barely a grand slam to his name, makes it in as our seventh finalist.
Then we’ll nominate Jack Kramer, the great American post-war player who in 1947 was the first to win Wimbledon with a pair of knees on display, and who went on to dominate the ensuing years whilst running and winning the renegade pro tour of one night stands.
Before the war, in 1938, Don Budge became the first man to take a genuine Grand Slam and remains the only one to do so apart from Laver’s two.
Reputed to have had possibly the greatest backhand of all time, he’s in.
Our last candidate is the man who dominated the 1920s, another American, Bill Tilden.
He led the US to six consecutive Davis Cup victories and collected ten Grand Slam titles before turning pro and then eventually sliding into ignominy on charges relating to his late blooming homosexuality.
So there you have the longlist of ten: Tilden, Budge, Kramer, Gonzales, Hoad, Laver, Borg, McEnroe, Sampras, Federer. Six Americans, two Australians, a Swede and a Swiss.
And although my bones are starting to creak in unforseen places, I have to declare that prior to Laver, I’m working sight unseen with this mob.
I caught the end of Laver’s career as a kid and I’ve seen the odd TV grab of Hoad in action, but that’s all. So it’s by reputation and the opinions of those older and wiser than me that this list is constructed.
To be honest I think you could swim around in statistics for years and not be able to conclusively separate these guys. Then there are the obvious points to be made about the differences in racquets and fitness levels and how it is therefore impossible to compare eras.
Then there are other criteria that could be considered.
Should it be based on a player’s influence on the game, such as Borg’s mainstreaming of heavy topspin off both sides, now the dominant approach?
Or the level a player reached at his peak, even if it was brief, as in Hoad’s case?
Or should longevity be the key?
Gonzales played the first ever “Open” Grand Slam, the 1968 French, and at the age of 40 lost in the semi-final to Laver. Then, at the age of 41, he actually chalked up a win against him.
If that’s impressive, how does Bill Tilden’s effort stack up?
In need of cash, at the age of 48 in 1941 he was still playing pro matches against then number one Budge. He was mostly beaten but was competitive and still managed to pick up the odd win.
Interestingly, this longevity of some of the great players reveals a leveling trait if we follow each to his chronological successor.
Tilden beat Budge at the age of 48. At age 40, just before retiring from the pro tour, Budge beat undisputed world no.1 Gonzales. Gonzales over Laver at 41. Laver, at 36, beat Borg a couple of times in 1974, the year of Borg’s first French title, and was beaten in a tie breaker in the decider in 1976.
Borg retired early and broke the chain, but it picked up again recently with Sampras’ exhibition victory over Federer.
By this logic you could make a case that Tilden was the greatest.
Obviously many prefer Laver’s two Grand Slams separated by seven years in which he couldn’t play.
Some like Sampras’ seven Wimbledons. Or McEnroe’s artistry. Many old timers who have seen the lot insist Gonzales was peerless. Gonzales said the only one better than him was Hoad. Kramer says it was Budge.
Now there’s Roger Federer, more than aware of all of this, and now facing the biggest challenge of his career.
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