Roger Federer: Significance of His Failure to Win Six In a Row

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Roger’s Five U.S. Open Crowns

Originally, I had planned on writing an article called “Significance of Roger Federer’s Sixth Consecutive U.S. Open Title.”

Obviously, I cannot write that article now. 

In that original article, I planned on talking a little about the history of the U.S. Open. It started in 1881 and was played on grass. It was played briefly on clay (1975-77). The jewel of hard court tennis, it went through a natural drift in its evolution and settled on Deco Turf in 1978. 

I have always argued that tennis in Laver’s era was not played on the same level as today’s tennis. History, however, is important. If we don’t honor history for the sake of “living in the present,” we are forgetting that this present will also be submitted to history, an unavoidable fate of time.

Some Historical Facts

So, how about some history?

First, Bill Tilden won the U.S. Open (actually the U.S. National Championship) for six consecutive years and seven times altogether (1920-'25, 1929). The six in a row by Tilden were on grass; the six in a row by Federer (oops, I mean five) were on the hard surface. 

Other historical facts include Ivan Lendl (The Terminator) playing in eight straight finals from 1982-'88 and winning three of them from '85-'87.

Bjorn Borg was in the finals four times (1976, '78, '80-'81) but never won a title. Jimmy Connors reached the semi-finals 12 years in a row from 1974-'85. Jimmy participated in 22 U.S. Opens (1970-1992—he missed 1990.) Only Andre Agassi has been close, he took part in 21 (1986-2006). 

Most losses in the final include Lendl with five, Borg and Agassi with four each, and Sampras along with Tilden with three. 

Most wins are Tilden, who has seven, Federer with six (drat it, I mean five), and Sampras with five. 

Biggest Loss

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