A Parisian Dream Come True: Roger Federer 1 Pete Sampras 0

Every sportsman, sportswomen or team aims to achieve the highest accolade that their sport has to offer. Whether it be an Olympic Gold Medal, a World Cup glory, or victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, it is the pinnacle of their aspirations, it is the reason they chose their way into their sport. It is the alternative life to the banal nine to five that they could have had.

Roger Federer is arguably the best sportsman the world of tennis has ever seen. At times he has showed an absolute invincibility that causes matches to be declared over before a serve or shot is even made.

He has reached many accolades in his career. He has won multiple titles at Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US open. He has fought his way through various tournaments without dropping a single set.

Yet there has always been one accolade that has eluded him, one triumph that he seemed destined never to achieve; the French Open title

This accolade is not the most warranted from a player’s perspective. It is not the one they strive to achieve above all else. But what it does allow is the acknowledgement that alongside grand slam victories at the three alternative destinations, they are to be considered as a true sporting hero.

It is only when a player has scored a complete Grand Slam of all four titles that he can truly be considered as the worlds greatest. To be the worlds greatest requires that you show your talents on all surfaces in a variety of circumstances and not just a collection of triumphs in specific areas. The all rounder is the talent who will be more fondly remembered.

The clay courts of Roland Garros had always proved one step too far for the Swiss super star. In recent years his feared and closest rival Rafael Nadal dominated the French Open, and made Roger’s dreams of a fantastic foursome all the more unachievable.

In some ways it is a shame that Roger’s debut victory at last has come against a player no where near the credentials of Nadal himself. Roger was never actually given the chance of defeating his arch nemesis in the tournament, a tournament in which he was comprehensively demolished by such a rival in recent years. Instead he earned his win against Andy Murray’s surprise successor Robin Soderling. And despite Soderling’s efforts in the tightly contested second set he was never really a massive threat

However the tears of joy and elation pouring from the Swiss players eyes at the climax of the match clearly highlighted his extreme satisfaction at finally achieving the title that will act as back up to claims that he is the greatest player to have ever taken to a tennis court.

And in his Parisian glory Federer has now equalled the title tally that his predecessor Pete Sampras set. A tally that most considered as an unmatchable record.

Greater still is the stated fact that Federer in comparison to the American has achieved the accolade four years his junior and approximately ten grand slams earlier. Even more remarkable when you consider that the field of men’s tennis players boasts a more intense field of spectacular talents in the modern day.

If the likes of Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Roddick had existed some ten years ago it is arguable that Sampras’s benchmark would have been dramatically lower and would have belonged to someone else instead.

Now it is Roger’s chance to continue his Grand Slam total, and set a greater challenge to the young stars of the future who will replace the Swiss man when he retires.

And for the die hard critics out there, Roger now adds his illustrious career to the likes of Fred Perry, Rod Laver and Andre Agassi who all achieved the same feat of winning all four Grand slam titles.

It is worth noting also that in recording such a victory today Roger not only equalled Pete Sampras’s record but in doing so accomplished the one thing that halted Pete’s name from being included in the aforementioned list of players to win all four Grand Slams – he conquered the clay courts of Roland Garros.

And for that Roger will have earned the respect and admiration that will see his name consistently mentioned in decades and centuries to come. He will be the player that all others seek to emulate.