Is Federer the greatest sports-person in the world?

[David]

I'd much rather talk about the best sports people in their field.. it's hard enough judging people from the same sports but from different eras.. let alone different sports.

[Bacon]

I'm gonna say MJ, cos he went from Basketball to Baseball, and back to basketball.

[Origami]

Sir Donald Bradman
Cassius Clay
Babe Ruth

[bennymacca]

you can compare players on the basis of how they dominated their chosen sport

but since this started as a tennis thread, are there enough fans out there to discuss the best tennis players?

since my knowledge doesn't stretch back to the days of rod laver, i won't talk about them


what about the top 5 tennis players of the last 20 years?

1. Roger Federer
2. Pete Sampras
3. Andre Aggassi
4. Rafael Nadaal
5. Stefan Edberg

[Scotty]

I think Ivan Lendl would have to be in the mix.

[bennymacca]

assuming you agree with the rest of my top 5, who would you drop out?

maybe edberg for lendl?

what about boris becker? i didn't fit him in anywhere

[Scotty]

Yeah, from that list, Edberg for Lendl.

[maccatak11]

WOW.

As i dont have channell 9 up here, i went to bed early, avoided all sports websites/tv shows and the forum so i could watch the fox replay as if it were live.

Ill repeat again, WOW.

The third year in a row that Wimbeldon has produced a 5-set mens final. Last year we talked about the federer/nadal game as being the best match of the last 20 years, if not ever, but i reckon this match was right up there also.

Federer is clearly the best tennis player of all time now.

My top 5 of the last 20 years would be Federer, Sampras, Agassi, Llendl, Nadal (will be higher once he wins all slams on all surfaces).


If we are talking about the best sportspeople in the world (for the past 20 years) then i also think federer is the best. Michael Jordan could do things nobody else could, and tiger woods will play golf for another 20 years barring injury, but i think federer's durability, versatility, consistency and humility make him the best ever i think. I definately voted for yes.

[Bob B]

if anyone even mentions michael schumacher i will punch them in the face

jordan, armstrong, federer, woods would be all up there i reckon

What about Michael Schumacher he was the best in his field too??? Sorry benny the cunt I couldn't help myself.

But on a more serious note, do you think thehi-tech equipment available today makes a player better than yester year??

Just looking at the footwear and equipment for Tennis, B'ball, running, jumping, pole vaulting, golf, etc, etc, makes a huge difference.

And the materials aerodinamics and engineering that has gone into motor sports has improved so much over the last 30 years.

Federera, Armstrong, Jordan, Tiger and yes even the Shu have excelled in their chosen sport and so have many others in their chosen sport.

Phil Helmeth has the most bracelets is he the best in his chosen field? Of course he is if the bracelets are what we use as a yard stick.

Other than a massage, a soft cushion and maybe a special diet of sorts and probably some comfortable clothing that's about it.

So, does that make Phil Helmeth a better sports person because he doesn't have the benefit of modern technical aides???

I don't think so. I just think he's good at what he does.

[bennymacca]

it is pretty impossible to compare sports people from different eras. i.e would rod laver beat roger federer? thats not a fair comparison. because of the training technicues etc, ANY pro tennis player would beat rod laver i think. his level of fitness and professionalism wouldn't compare to todays athletes. but back then, it was enough.


what you can do is measure a player against his peers. that means that the technical advances don't come into it, because everyone is on a level playing field in that regard

there are a few players that stand head and shoulders above everyone else that has played against them, and add to this, their records stand up against anyone from history. federer is definitely one of thise, woods and jordan are others.