Roger Federer won the Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday night (29th) beating Rafael Nadal. But as we look back on Federer's victory, certain questions have to be asked. First of all, was this victory by Federer an exception to the rule or the start of something special? And second of all, how does Federer compare with other sporting greats and those from the world of tennis?
The match
The match itself was a five-set thriller, with Federer emerging victorious 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3. What the result gave was Federer's 18th Grand Slam title, one what the Daily Mail described as his "greatest achievement".
The victory was even more remarkable given that the Swiss is 35 years old, and thus became the "oldest holder" of a major title for forty-six years.
The start of a revival?
But the first question to ask is, is this the start of a revival or simply an exception to the rule? One cannot ignore the fact that without Djokovic or Andy Murray, it made the task a little bit easier for the number 16 ranked player. It is also the case that the victory has given Federer some renewed optimism for the rest of the year. The Guardian reported that although Federer was "surprised" to win his 18th Grand Slam title, he is now targeting Wimbledon for his 19th major triumph. Further on from this, with regards to the US Open, Federer stated that "I also think I have a good chance to do well there".
But let us remember, this is Federer's first Grand Slam victory since 2012. What with his age and the competition, I just do not see this as the start of something special, more a reminder of how great a player that he was. But as is the case in sport, you just never know.
How does he compare?
The second question to ask is, where does Federer compare with other tennis greats?
The fact that I see him as one of the greatest sportsmen in history tells you what I think of him compared to other tennis players. The Tennis Server website noted that there a few key things that separated Federer from the rest. Number one is that he was better at "elevating his game in key situations" than anybody else. Secondly, he was 'blessed' with "fantastic foot speed, marvelous anticipation and the balance of a ballerina".
Third of all, he kept his emotions "under control all of the time" and lastly he understood the "geometry of tennis" in a way that nobody else did. For all that he has won and how he has won, he truly is the greatest male tennis player in history. And one would not begrudge him the title of one of best sports persons in history. Jay P. Grant from Tennis Server noted that the greats such as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or Billy Jean King, they all possessed a rare combination of "genetic gifts, physical attributes, discipline, focus, confidence and temperament". Federer, I believe, had those gifts.
Whether or not we are about to see a renaissance, what is for certain is that Federer will go down as one of the all-time greats and he truly deserves to be.
