| Roger Federer's victory in the U.S. Open came just | | | | was nicknamed "The Rocket" for his talent and |
| when he seemed vulnerable to the other top three | | | | "Popeye" for his bulging left forearm. |
| players in the world ... Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic | | | | 5. Bjorn Borg (11,5). How much bigger would his totals |
| and Andy Murray, all of whom have defeated him | | | | have been if he hadn't quit abruptly at age 25 after |
| lately ... and after a supposed off-year in which he | | | | John McEnroe beat him in tight matches at Wimbledon |
| failed to win the first three Slams, and had to settle for | | | | and the U.S. Open, and if he had journeyed to the |
| Olympic gold in doubles, not singles. Well, what he did in | | | | Australian Open consistently (he played there only |
| New York cements his position as the greatest ever | | | | once, as it wasn't the true major then as it is now). |
| to step on a court. No one, of course, has ever won | | | | Borg is known, of course, for his record six French |
| five Wimbledons in a row and five U.S. Opens in a row | | | | Open titles and winning the slow French and slick |
| as he has ... in this day of top competition and top | | | | Wimbledon titles ... the "difficult double" ... three years in |
| pressure, a stupendous feat. | | | | a row. He also helped pioneer the two-handed |
| He doesn't have the best serve in the game, the best | | | | backhand with heavy topspin ... a style he developed, |
| backhand, the best forehand, the best speed, the most | | | | he said, from slapshots taken while playing hockey as |
| power, etc. But he's so good in all these categories ... | | | | a youth in Sweden. |
| with no weaknesses ... and coupled with his impassive | | | | 6. Andre Agassi (8,7). For a guy who began his career |
| demeanor, there's never been a better all-around | | | | with a punk rock appearance and demeanor, his |
| player. | | | | longevity surprises ... he played his first Slam final at |
| The coming year, with superbly talented guys in the | | | | age 22 and last at age 35. What made him great |
| top four, and all four capable of beating each other, | | | | were his quick reflexes and superb eyesight ... those |
| and with Federer gunning to tie Pete Sampras' record | | | | two qualities gave him probably the best service return |
| of 14 Slam titles, promises to be the best ever. The | | | | in the game and the best pure groundstrokes as he |
| numbers in parentheses stand for Grand Slam titles | | | | was able to hit the ball on the rise. His charitable work |
| won and runnersup. | | | | made him a champion off the court as well ... his Andre |
| 1. Roger Federer (13,4). No other modern player has | | | | Agassi Foundation supports a charter school for |
| excelled on all three surfaces as Federer has, | | | | low-income kids in Las Vegas. |
| participating in three finals each at the Australian and | | | | 7. Ivan Lendl (8,11). His appearance in 19 Grand Slam |
| French, six at Wimbledon and five at the U.S. Open. He | | | | finals is a men's record, and making the finals of the |
| holds the record of being ranked No. 1 for 237 weeks, | | | | U.S. Open eight years in a row, winning three times, is |
| breaking Jimmy Connors' record of 160 for men and | | | | a feat as astounding now as it was in 1982-89. He |
| Steffi Graf's 186 for women. He has the all-time | | | | would rank higher if only he had conquered Wimbledon. |
| winning streaks of 65 matches in a row on grass and | | | | Alas, he lost two finals there to Boris Becker and Pat |
| 56 on hardcourts. His achievements of 10 consecutive | | | | Cash, and despite intensive training efforts to tailor his |
| Slam finals and 18 consecutive Slam semis are not | | | | game to grass, five other semifinals were as far as he |
| only a record but a phenomenon. At age 27, which is | | | | got. The running forehand was his signature shot. |
| getting up there in the tennis world, how much does he | | | | 8. John McEnroe (7,4). McEnroe also won 10 Slam titles |
| have left? With his smooth, efficient style and never | | | | in doubles, and the deft skills required at net in that |
| having suffered a major injury, we'd say a lot. | | | | event helped build his all-court game in singles. He won |
| 2. Pete Sampras (14,4). The reason why Pete ranks | | | | four U.S. Opens and three Wimbledons, but his vitriolic |
| second is simple ... in Wimbledon in 2001, when he was | | | | style seemed to burn him out ... he played in his last |
| still in his prime at age 29, he was beaten in five sets | | | | Slam final at age 26, took a six-month vacation from |
| by the 20-year-old Federer, who was nowhere near | | | | the tour to marry actress Tatum O'Neal, took a |
| his peak yet. Of course, his record 14 Slams and six | | | | seven-month break the next year ... and though he |
| consecutive years as No. 1 provide all the evidence | | | | made the U.S. Open semis in 1990 and Wimbledon's |
| needed for his greatness. In his rivalry with Andre | | | | semis in 1992 at age 33, his dominance had long since |
| Agassi ... they first played each other at ages 8 and 9 | | | | passed. |
| ... he won 20 of their 34 matches. | | | | 9. Jimmy Connors (8,7). Although he never completed |
| 3. Rafael Nadal (5,2). The world has never seen a | | | | a Grand Slam, failing to win the French, he is one of |
| player like Nadal, at least on clay, with his | | | | only three players (Agassi and Mats Wilander being |
| far-behind-the-baseline style but the speed and power | | | | the others) to win Slam events on all three surfaces ... |
| to make up for it ... and stylish, unique moves like his | | | | clay, grass and hardcourt, demonstrating his versatility. |
| 180-degree turn after a lunging backhand. He took a | | | | His 109 singles titles in the open era remain a record |
| couple years to learn grass and win at Wimbledon; | | | | after all these years and he certainly earned what he |
| now let's see if he makes similar progress on | | | | got against the top players ... he beat Borg twice, Lendl |
| hardcourts. At age 22, he has plenty of time and | | | | twice and McEnroe once in Slam finals. Did his |
| having made the semis at the Australian and U.S. | | | | chip-on-the-shoulder attitude help or hurt him? Who |
| Open, he doesn't have that far to go. And let's not | | | | knows ... his antics to rile the crowd and officials |
| forget he took Olympic gold in '08. As for clay, he has | | | | generated energy he fed off, but he also incurred a |
| won a record 81 consecutive matches. | | | | 10-week suspension in 1986 for his ref baiting. |
| 4. Rod Laver (11,6). The 5-foot-8 lefty, until the advent | | | | 10. Bill Tilden (10,5). The sport's first great star, and on a |
| of the three guys above, was usually deemed the | | | | level with Babe Ruth, Red Grange and other celebrity |
| greatest ever. His greatest achievement was winning | | | | athletes of the 1920s, he was a late bloomer who |
| the Grand Slam as an amateur in 1962, then, seven | | | | didn't win his first major until age 27 in 1920. He won |
| years later, repeating it in the open era. He was on the | | | | the U.S. Championships six times in a row. A cerebral |
| pro tour for six years in between, depriving himself of | | | | guy, he wrote two books about how to play tennis, |
| the opportunity to win lots more Slams. If you add up | | | | one of which remains in print today. He then played on |
| what he did as an amateur, then a pro, then a pro in | | | | the professional tour well into his 40s. |
| the open era, he won a record 185 singles titles. He | | | | |