The acronym GOAT, as used in tennis, stands for 'Greatest Of All Time'. It refers to those racket - wielding Demigods who make the sport look so easy with their prodigious talent and unquenchable thirst for victory. They are beyond human. They are beyond superhuman. They have, with their accomplishments, transcended the sport itself.
Throughout the history of lawn tennis, there have been a few elite players worthy of the GOAT title. Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, John Mcenroe, Boris Becker, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi naturally come to mind. And of course, we have the current 'Fab Four' of men's tennis - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, those superstars that are the epitome of the Golden Age of Men's Tennis.
But out of this collection of remarkable individuals, which single player can definitively be labelled the Greatest Of All Time? Which one of them can be placed on a pedestal and uplifted to a God-like status? Innumerable people have argued about this. Frustrating hours have been spent debating this question. Wars have been fought over this conundrum. And yet, a consensus has not been reached.
In this post, I am going to put forth my own views and talk about the current situation in the world of tennis. Hopefully, doing so will create some clarity in my own head, if not the minds of others.
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Being an ardent follower of tennis myself, I can only marvel at the dizzying heights which men's tennis has currently reached. The Fab Four have created a whole new game of their own, locked in their 4 - way rivalry, miles ahead of the rest of the field.
I want to use this post to talk about these 4 men, and the rivalries that have come to define the sport in recent years.
Andy Murray
Previously known as the 'Bridesmaid' of men's tennis, Andy was always the one who stood by the sidelines and let the other 3 taste Grand Slam glory. He came excruciatingly close to winning 4 Grand Slam finals, only to be beaten back every time (once by Djokovic, and thrice by Federer).
But he never gave up hope. Fighting like a true champion, he improved his game after every defeat, pushing himself to limits that even he didn't know existed. And success came in the form of a shiny US Open trophy, which he won after beating rival and long-time friend Novak Djokovic in a thrilling final in 2012.
His biggest rivalry is with Novak, and it's one that people are touting as the next big thing in tennis. However, with only 1 Grand Slam title under his belt, Murray is not, in my opinion, worthy of the GOAT title (Yet). All that may change in the years to come. We can only wait and watch as one of the survivors of the Dunblane School Massacre strives to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
Novak Djokovic
Currently the best tennis player in the world, Djokovic is a supreme athlete, an indefatigable fighter, and probably one of the best hard court players ever. He emerged on the scene as a brash, aggresive player when he shocked the world by beating Federer in the 2008 Australian Open final. He has, however, mellowed down over the years, becoming a more mature, more confident player, yet not losing that killer instinct even one bit.
And his endurance and strength (mental and physical) are, well, the stuff of legend. He has managed to push his body to a jaw-dropping level of fitness. Novak is not just one of the fittest tennis players, he's one of the fittest people on the planet. Combine that with his hunger for titles and never-say-die attitude and you have a champion indeed.
Novak has a thrilling rivalry with all the other 3 - Federer, Nadal and Murray. During his remarkable 2011 season, he was on a 41 match winning streak, that was stopped only by Federer at the French Open. That particular season has been described by many as one of the best in tennis history. During that year, he swept up the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles.
In the present, Novak is in astonishing form, and is the man to beat. Look forward to many more titles from him in the coming months.
Rafael Nadal
In the unique history of tennis, there has probably not been any player as successful on any single surface as Rafael Nadal on clay. It's as if he was born from the red clay of the French Open. When he steps on to a clay court, it's as if the Gods themselves favour him, as he decimates whoever dares stand on the other side of the net.
With 11 Grand Slam titles (7 of them being at the French Open!), Nadal is surely on of the main contenders for the title of the GOAT. He is a relentless tennis player, tiring his opponents with his powerful baseline play, striving to run after every ball that comes his way. In an amazing 2008 Wimbledon final (which many call the greatest tennis match of all time), Nadal chased down everything Federer could throw at him, as he wrested the title away from the Swiss master. That year, he proved that he wasn't just a clay court specialist, but a remarkable all-round player, capable of winning on any surface in any part of the world.
The Nadal - Federer rivalry is one of the most gripping rivalries in the the history of sport. While the head to head count is skewed in Nadal's favour (18-10), every single match of theirs has been a titanic encounter between the 2 greatest tennis players of their generation. Whenever a Federer-Nadal battle was underway, I would drop whatever I was doing at that time, and just marvel at the intensity of their game.
While Nadal has been out of action for the past 8 months due to a serious knee injury, he has made a successful comeback to the professional tour, and he's looking more dangerous than ever. I'm sure many a player is shaking in his shoes at the thought of facing Rafa again.
Roger Federer
How does one describe a man with a record 17 Grand Slam titles? A man who has dominated the world of tennis for the past decade? A man who, even at the age of 32, is not even contemplating retirement?
One simply cannot.
I am a true-blue Roger Federer fan. One hundred percent. So naturally, my words will be baised. But I will try to remain as dispassionate as possible, and keep the hero-worshpping to a minimum.
If Rafael Nadal is the God of Clay, then Roger Federer is definitely the Grass Court King. Having won 7 Wimbledon titles, he can definitely say that he owns the green lawn of Wimbledon. Many of his most exciting matches and greatest victories have come at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
In the word's of Jimmy Connors, "In the modern game, you're either a clay court specialist, a hard court specialist, or a grass court specialist . . . or you're Roger Federer." These words accurately sum up the performance of the Swiss Maestro, a man who has been one of the most prolific winners across all surfaces in the past decade.
When he plays, the world watches. When he plays, he creates a spellbinding sort of tennis magic with his elegant strokes. And when he plays at his best, he creates an aura of invincibility around him. His forehand groundstroke is considered one of the best ever, he is never afraid to chip and charge up to the net, and his game is complete - in every sense of the word.
Federer's biggest critics argue that he cannot be called the best player of all time as he has a losing head-to-head record against Nadal, his biggest rival. While this is most certainly true, his almost flawless record over the past 10 years shows just what kind of tennis player he is. He won 3 Grand Slams in a year, thrice (in 2004, 2006 and 2007) - an astounding feat by itself. While he may not have the stamina of Djokovic or Nadal's ability to reach every ball, his raw talent and majestic game make him who he is.
Roger Federer's wikipedia page states that many tennis analysts, critics and former players consider him to be THE greatest tennis player of ALL TIME. I couldn't agree more. He is a man who is synonymous with tennis, a man who hasn't lost the knack of winning, even though he is quite a few years older than his biggest rivals.
Go Roger! (sorry for the fangirlism . . . . I just couldn't resist)
I've said what I wanted to say. I have put forth my opinions on these four extraordinary sportsmen. My job is done for now.
As for who should be called the GOAT, my opinion is pretty clear (like I said, I'm a Federer man through and through). But I leave it to you to decide.
Throughout the history of lawn tennis, there have been a few elite players worthy of the GOAT title. Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, John Mcenroe, Boris Becker, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi naturally come to mind. And of course, we have the current 'Fab Four' of men's tennis - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, those superstars that are the epitome of the Golden Age of Men's Tennis.
But out of this collection of remarkable individuals, which single player can definitively be labelled the Greatest Of All Time? Which one of them can be placed on a pedestal and uplifted to a God-like status? Innumerable people have argued about this. Frustrating hours have been spent debating this question. Wars have been fought over this conundrum. And yet, a consensus has not been reached.
In this post, I am going to put forth my own views and talk about the current situation in the world of tennis. Hopefully, doing so will create some clarity in my own head, if not the minds of others.
-
Being an ardent follower of tennis myself, I can only marvel at the dizzying heights which men's tennis has currently reached. The Fab Four have created a whole new game of their own, locked in their 4 - way rivalry, miles ahead of the rest of the field.
I want to use this post to talk about these 4 men, and the rivalries that have come to define the sport in recent years.
Andy Murray
Previously known as the 'Bridesmaid' of men's tennis, Andy was always the one who stood by the sidelines and let the other 3 taste Grand Slam glory. He came excruciatingly close to winning 4 Grand Slam finals, only to be beaten back every time (once by Djokovic, and thrice by Federer).
But he never gave up hope. Fighting like a true champion, he improved his game after every defeat, pushing himself to limits that even he didn't know existed. And success came in the form of a shiny US Open trophy, which he won after beating rival and long-time friend Novak Djokovic in a thrilling final in 2012.
His biggest rivalry is with Novak, and it's one that people are touting as the next big thing in tennis. However, with only 1 Grand Slam title under his belt, Murray is not, in my opinion, worthy of the GOAT title (Yet). All that may change in the years to come. We can only wait and watch as one of the survivors of the Dunblane School Massacre strives to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
Novak Djokovic
Currently the best tennis player in the world, Djokovic is a supreme athlete, an indefatigable fighter, and probably one of the best hard court players ever. He emerged on the scene as a brash, aggresive player when he shocked the world by beating Federer in the 2008 Australian Open final. He has, however, mellowed down over the years, becoming a more mature, more confident player, yet not losing that killer instinct even one bit.
And his endurance and strength (mental and physical) are, well, the stuff of legend. He has managed to push his body to a jaw-dropping level of fitness. Novak is not just one of the fittest tennis players, he's one of the fittest people on the planet. Combine that with his hunger for titles and never-say-die attitude and you have a champion indeed.
Novak has a thrilling rivalry with all the other 3 - Federer, Nadal and Murray. During his remarkable 2011 season, he was on a 41 match winning streak, that was stopped only by Federer at the French Open. That particular season has been described by many as one of the best in tennis history. During that year, he swept up the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles.
In the present, Novak is in astonishing form, and is the man to beat. Look forward to many more titles from him in the coming months.
Rafael Nadal
In the unique history of tennis, there has probably not been any player as successful on any single surface as Rafael Nadal on clay. It's as if he was born from the red clay of the French Open. When he steps on to a clay court, it's as if the Gods themselves favour him, as he decimates whoever dares stand on the other side of the net.
With 11 Grand Slam titles (7 of them being at the French Open!), Nadal is surely on of the main contenders for the title of the GOAT. He is a relentless tennis player, tiring his opponents with his powerful baseline play, striving to run after every ball that comes his way. In an amazing 2008 Wimbledon final (which many call the greatest tennis match of all time), Nadal chased down everything Federer could throw at him, as he wrested the title away from the Swiss master. That year, he proved that he wasn't just a clay court specialist, but a remarkable all-round player, capable of winning on any surface in any part of the world.
The Nadal - Federer rivalry is one of the most gripping rivalries in the the history of sport. While the head to head count is skewed in Nadal's favour (18-10), every single match of theirs has been a titanic encounter between the 2 greatest tennis players of their generation. Whenever a Federer-Nadal battle was underway, I would drop whatever I was doing at that time, and just marvel at the intensity of their game.
While Nadal has been out of action for the past 8 months due to a serious knee injury, he has made a successful comeback to the professional tour, and he's looking more dangerous than ever. I'm sure many a player is shaking in his shoes at the thought of facing Rafa again.
Roger Federer
How does one describe a man with a record 17 Grand Slam titles? A man who has dominated the world of tennis for the past decade? A man who, even at the age of 32, is not even contemplating retirement?
One simply cannot.
I am a true-blue Roger Federer fan. One hundred percent. So naturally, my words will be baised. But I will try to remain as dispassionate as possible, and keep the hero-worshpping to a minimum.
If Rafael Nadal is the God of Clay, then Roger Federer is definitely the Grass Court King. Having won 7 Wimbledon titles, he can definitely say that he owns the green lawn of Wimbledon. Many of his most exciting matches and greatest victories have come at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
In the word's of Jimmy Connors, "In the modern game, you're either a clay court specialist, a hard court specialist, or a grass court specialist . . . or you're Roger Federer." These words accurately sum up the performance of the Swiss Maestro, a man who has been one of the most prolific winners across all surfaces in the past decade.
When he plays, the world watches. When he plays, he creates a spellbinding sort of tennis magic with his elegant strokes. And when he plays at his best, he creates an aura of invincibility around him. His forehand groundstroke is considered one of the best ever, he is never afraid to chip and charge up to the net, and his game is complete - in every sense of the word.
Federer's biggest critics argue that he cannot be called the best player of all time as he has a losing head-to-head record against Nadal, his biggest rival. While this is most certainly true, his almost flawless record over the past 10 years shows just what kind of tennis player he is. He won 3 Grand Slams in a year, thrice (in 2004, 2006 and 2007) - an astounding feat by itself. While he may not have the stamina of Djokovic or Nadal's ability to reach every ball, his raw talent and majestic game make him who he is.
Roger Federer's wikipedia page states that many tennis analysts, critics and former players consider him to be THE greatest tennis player of ALL TIME. I couldn't agree more. He is a man who is synonymous with tennis, a man who hasn't lost the knack of winning, even though he is quite a few years older than his biggest rivals.
Go Roger! (sorry for the fangirlism . . . . I just couldn't resist)
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| The Fabulous Four - Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Murray |
I've said what I wanted to say. I have put forth my opinions on these four extraordinary sportsmen. My job is done for now.
As for who should be called the GOAT, my opinion is pretty clear (like I said, I'm a Federer man through and through). But I leave it to you to decide.
