Andre Agassi has battled the greats of tennis from Pete Sampras to John McEnroe to Ivan Lendl, but after his four-set defeat on Sunday in the U.S. Open final, he believes Roger Federer is better than them all.
“He’s the best I’ve ever played against,” the 35-year-old Agassi told the Associated Press after his 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1 defeat. “He plays the game in a very special way that I haven’t seen before.”
After Federer put an end to the great American spirit that was evident at the Open, one would tend to agree with Agassi. With his victory over the weekend, Federer captured his second straight U.S. Open and sixth Grand Slam title overall. He became the first man since the Open era began in 1968 to win both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open back-to-back in consecutive years. He won his 10th tournament this year and his 32nd career title. He upped his 2005 record to 71-3 overall, the most dominant year by any player since John McEnroe went 82-3 in 1984. Federer’s Open victory, his 35th consecutive on hard court, also broke Pete Sampras’ mark of 34 hard court victories in a row.
It is easy to see that Federer has faced very little stress during his ascent to the pinnacle of tennis. His record in finals over the past two years is an incomprehensible 23-0, and the man has never lost a major final. It’s money in the bank that when Federer reaches a final, the trophy will be his.
At 24, he has already placed himself among the cream of the tennis crop. He has tied Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg for Grand Slam titles and is one behind McEnroe. Sampras still holds the record with 14 Grand Slam titles, but up to this point, Federer has displayed the same dominance Tiger Woods has in the world of golf, making his attack on that record a distinct possibility.
Federer’s impartial game gives him a great chance to match Sampras. His shot-variety, raw strength and balance between baseline and at-the-net shots should keep him dominant until his early 30s, when many players normally slow down. Sampras, who had one more title than Federer at his age, won only one after he turned 28.
At this point, the lack of any significant threat to Federer’s dominance would seem to lend to his continued success. The stiff competition that many have expected from Andy Roddick has been non-existent. With a 1-10 record against Federer, Roddick has failed to setup a truly great rivalry.
With his recent control over the tennis world, Federer has become the face of the sport. While he is confident in proclaiming himself the best player of his generation, Federer is reluctant to go any further, calling himself “a little cookie” compared to those who came before him. However, Federer might have to drop the humble act soon because he won’t be a little cookie much longer.
