Sometimes we like someone or something so much that we want things to happen that are unrealistic. Is this type of group phsycosis happening in tennis today with Roger Federer's feats? Do we all like Roger Federer so much that we want him at all costs to be the best player ever? It's possible.
Nevertheless, as much as I like Roger Federer, his game, his tacticts, his nimbelness around the court, his fantastic eye, his fluid style, the reading of his oponents game and intentions, in spite of all those fantastic assets and all the exploits that Federer has accomplished, I have to accept math and unless math is wrong:
Björn Borg is the undisputed best player ever!
Björn Borg, retired from professional tennis at 25 years and 4 months old and had already won 61 ATP events. Among those wins are 6 Major Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon on grass, 5 of them consecutive and 6 titles at Roland Garros on clay, 4 of those titles were consecutive, which is unanimously considered as the hardest surface to win in any Grand Slam!
Borg is the only player to have won in three consecutive years both Wimbledon and the French Open. An accomplishment considered by many experts as "the most difficult double in tennis". Besides that superb feat, Borg seriously handicapped his record because, unlike most top players of the last 25 years, Borg chose not to make the journey to the Australian Open, except only once in 1974 at 18 years old!
Imagine what would have happened to the book of records, if Bjorn Borg had chosen to make the journey to the Australian Open more often or had played until the ripe old age of 32 or 34 years old like Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi did!
"23.Oct.2006
MADRID, Spain (Associated Press) - Roger Federer called himself the best player in tennis.
Nobody can argue with that.
"Well, I am the best right now," Federer said after beating 10th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez 7-5, 6-1, 6-0. "But in history, I guess we'll never know except if I break all the records there are, but there's still a long way to go."
Roger Federer certainly does not know, because:
Today 23.Oct.2006 Roger Federer who many mistakenly claim to be the best player ever, at 25 and 3 months, one month short of Björn Borg's retirement age, has won "only" 43 ATP events and is rapidly running out of time!
If we do the math Roger Federer would have to win 18 ATP events in the next 5 weeks until he reaches 25 years and 4 months, or otherwise Bjorn Borg will remain the best player ever!
Björn Borg's last serious ATP tournament attempt was Tokyo Open 26.10.81 at age 25 and 4 months. Borg played half-heartedly non ATP, WCT Monte Carlo 1982 and 1983 events, perhaps just to please the Monaco crowd since he was a resident there at the time. Björn Borg won 61 professional tournaments!
Today Roger Federer at age 25 and 3 months has won 43 ATP events!
In my mind from the best players of all time, only Rod Laver can share the honor of the best player ever with Borg. Laver is the only player ever to win twice "The Grand Slam" by winning in singles all four majors (Australian Open, French Open/Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open) in the same calendar year in 1962 and 1969. It ranks up at the top of tennis dominance with Björn Borg's performances.
After all I might be wrong and perhaps there is still hope for Roger Federer to be the best ever by winning "The Grand Slam" twice in the next few years! I for one believe he can.
Sérgio Cruz
References: ATP website
Björn Borg
Rod Laver
Roger Federer
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