(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
When Swiss tennis star Roger Federer won the Wimbledon Men's Championships this past Sunday, he broke Pete Sampras' all-time record of 14 grand slam singles titles and the discussion started - is Federer the "greatest ever".
The remarkable Federer defeated American Andy Roddick in a five set thriller that lasted over four hours and was capped off with an unforgettable 16-14 fifth set. This was truly one of the best matches the tennis world has ever seen - nobody could have dreamed up this one.
Federer has done something no one before him has done and the total of 15 majors he now can claim is likely to grow. The 27-year-old has a lot of tennis left to play.
Federer is one of the toughest competitors we've ever seen. He's got a billion dollar backhand, a knack for making a big shot every time he needs to and he has increased the speed of his serve to over 130 mph.
So is this man the greatest tennis player of all time? He's got 15 majors!
When talking about the greatest ever, it always leads to the comparison of different eras. Though this makes for great discussion, comparing eras is usually an exercise in frustration that doesn't produce an ounce of conclusivity.
Was Jesse Owens a better sprinter than Carl Lewis? Owens was almost a full second slower in the 100-yard dash but the tracks were of a different consistency. The running shoes and training methods were different.
But in regards to Federer's incredible record, and he's done it in an amazingly short time, there's something else that has to be considered-something that might explain why he has been able to accomplish what so many of the greats of the game could not.
It's competition. Although it's impossible to really compare players from different eras, one thing that's always related to the discussion is the amount of competition a player encountered during their career.
This is where I jump off the Federer band wagon because it seems that from the time he became the ATP's dominant player, he has had only one serious threat- only one player on the tour that is capable of winning any time he gets on the court with him.
Federer's admirers claim "it's not a lack of competition, but a tribute to his greatness" and once again, we're stuck in an unending debate when we try to break down this topic.
Rafael Nadal has only won six majors but he is four years younger than Federer and for the last two-three years, he has given Federer more than he wants.
Nadal is 13-7 lifetime against Federer. He's 5-2 against Federer in majors and he has won the last three majors they've played.
Nadal showed he can play on grass when he defeated Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final and he won the 2009 Australian Open, on a hard court.
Is he a better player than Federer at the moment? If he isn't better, it certainly appears he's caught up to him.
Federer joined the ATP in July, 1988 but it was in 2001 when he really emerged as a player.
His first ATP win came in February of that year at the Milan Indoors, and in that same month he won three matches for Switzerland in their Davis Cup victory over the United States.
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