It is the ultimate measure of athletic greatness to be considered the best player of all time in a particular sport's history. Roger Federer, winner of an unprecedented 15 Grand Slam titles, is engendering such a debate, though the evidence is clearly in his favor. He is currently ranked No. 1 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), having previously held the number one position for a record 237 consecutive weeks.

He has appeared in an unprecedented 20 career Grand Slam finals, and as of July 2009, has reached the semifinals or better of the last 21 Grand Slam tournaments, a streak spanning over five years. Federer also holds the record of reaching 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals and has appeared in 16 of the last 17.

The monumental win over Andy Roddick at Wimbledon meant Federer moved clear of Pete Sampras in the record books. But does that achievement make him the greatest tennis player of all time? As a longtime fans of the game, the verdict here is split. Some feel that while Federer is a superb tactician he doesn't inspire the fear and awe in opposing players the way that Sampras did. Others point to his amazing consistency in support of his GOAT (Greatest of All-time) status.

Another argument against the #1 designation is his inability to dominate his main rival, and implacable foil over the years in Rafael Nadal, who holds a winning record against him. What can be inferred from the fact that Federer seemed incapable of vanquishing Nadal in so many high-stakes matches? To insert a basketball analogy, whenever Michael Jordan was presented with a player touted to match him in skill and intensity, he quickly, consistently and decisively destroyed that player by dominating games and winning championships. Therefore, there is no real argument that Jordan is not the greatest player ever in the modern era; the only controversy comes when comparing him to past greats such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell. Federer has not yet proved capable of this kind of dominance.

What isn't in question is that Federer has joined Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Andre Agassi as a winner of all four Grand Slam titles with his victory at the French Open this year. Also irrefutable is his extraordinary consistency, already alluded to, a testament to superior mental and physical strength.

It will be interesting to see how things play out, not that Federer has put history in his rear view mirror. Will we see him play a more aggressive, risk-taking game after being freed from the fear of falling short of the goal of procuring the most Gram Slam titles?

Let the debate rage on. At RogerFedererDVD.com, we offer all of Roger's Grand Slam wins on DVD for only $10 per match. It is a collaborative hobby site, and we hope to brighten the days of those who wish to relive the awesome, tension-packed experience of watching the great one achieve each coveted title. We pay for all shipping / handling costs. All orders are sent out within 48 hours of being received.

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