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Federer the phenom
Steven LynchNovember 6, 2013
Who do you think is the greatest male tennis player of all time? Roger Federer? Rafael Nadal? asked Archie McDonald
This is a difficult one - and, of course, a matter of opinion. There have been several brilliant players over the years, including some whose achievements are half-forgotten today - one I feel is generally under-rated today, probably because he only won Wimbledon once, is Jack Kramer.
He turned professional fairly quickly after winning Wimbledon in 1947 (no-one has ever won it while losing fewer games, even though he somehow managed to drop one set along the way) and fought off newcomers to the pro ranks for several years. (Kramer, meanwhile, thought the best player he ever saw was Don Budge.)
But even Kramer never threatened to win on clay at Roland Garros, and I suppose the best player has to be able to win on any surface: which brings in Rod Laver, who won two Grand Slams, in 1962 as an amateur and as a pro in 1969. That obviously included victories in France.
Until very recently I'd have said that Laver was the best - but you have to admit that Roger Federer's record is superb over a similarly long period. I think now even diehard Laver fans like me might have to admit that Federer would have given him a pretty good game! Rafael Nadal wouldn't be far behind. And wouldn't it be fun to watch …
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