Golden Oldies
Is Federer's Wimbledon win the greatest comeback in solo men's sport?
After winning the men’s singles tournament at Wimbledon for a record eighth time, Roger Federer is being spoken of as the greatest of all time. It’s undoubtedly a remarkable achievement to lift the trophy for the first time since 2012 and a full 14 years after his first title at the All England Club. In doing so he separated himself from Pete Sampras in the Open Era and William Renshaw in the early days of the amateur era with seven Wimbledon victories.
That Federer did this in such imperious style marks him out further still. He did not drop a set in his seven matches, an experience he described as “magical.” This was the Swiss star’s 19th Grand Slam and even aged 35, thanks to his performance, there are many who believe he is set to add to that number.
The title seals a remarkable year that has confirmed Federer’s return as a force in tennis. It wasn’t just Wimbledon he had failed to win in five years – he had not won any Grand Slam event since that 2012 victory at SW19 and had struggled with injury, including a long post-surgery layoff last year. He was meant to be finished but proved everyone wrong at the Australian Open in January this year.
Despite going in as the 17th seed, Federer fought through to the final where he faced his longstanding rival Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard broke serve in the decisive fifth set but Federer subsequently recovered to take the match, in turn beating Nadal in a Grand Slam for the first time since 2007 and for the first time ever away from the grass courts of Wimbledon.
No one thought it would get better than that but Federer is now ranked third in the world, and he has won two of the three Grand Slam events contested this year – he sat out the French Open’s draining clay courts – and is regarded as the favorite for the US Open, even if he will have turned 36 by the time that begins at the end of August.
While Federer admits to having no particular records in mind but a sixth win at Flushing Meadows would put him close to breaking Andre Agassi’s record as the oldest No.1 in the men’s singles ranking and in sight of Ken Rosewall’s record as the oldest winner of a Grand Slam, aged 37 back in 1972.
Would another US Open make him the greatest of all time? Certainly. After Wimbledon, he is already held in that regard, at least in the men’s game – the women’s game has even more remarkable records and Serena Williams is not done yet – but how does it compare to the other champions of individual sports who triumphed long after their supposed prime?
Muhammad Ali
“I’m the greatest,” he said himself after winning the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston at 22 before he later declared himself to be “the double greatest,” but it wasn’t until he came back from enforced exile as a result of his refusal to be enlisted for the Vietnam War that the world had to agree. Ali did not fight from the ages of 25 to 29 because of the ban and did not get a shot at the title that he had relinquished until he stepped into the ring with Joe Frazier in 1971. Ali lost the “Fight of the Century,” his first loss as a pro, but got revenge over Frazier in a rematch in 1974. By that time George Foreman was the champ and Ali had earned his shot at the title at the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, in what was then Zaire. Against all odds, his famed “rope-a-dope” tactics outwitted Foreman and Ali regained his title by knockout at the age of 32. The following year Ali defeated Frazier for a second time in the “Thriller in Manila” in one of boxing’s greatest fights before winning the heavyweight crown for a record third time in 1978 at the age of 36, regaining his title from Leon Spinks in a rematch. Ali would go on to retire and return to the ring several times.
Jack Nicklaus
The Golden Bear turned professional at the age of 21 and soon began to dominate the world of golf, so much so that when he won The Open Championship in 1966 it completed the career slam of major tournaments – he was only 26 and was the youngest at that time to do so. He struggled at the tail end of the decade but bounced back in 1971 to become the first golfer to win all four majors twice and dominated throughout the 1970s. As he entered his 40s he was still a major figure and won the Ryder Cup, but his crowning achievement was a victory that went against probability at the 1986 Masters. Nicklaus won the tournament for the sixth time, a record 18th major, by shooting a final round of 65. He was 46 but wasn’t done there – he has since won all the senior majors and even came sixth at the 1998 Masters, at the age of 58.
George Foreman
Like Joe Frazier, the man who he beat to become world heavyweight champion, Foreman had emerged during the vacuum caused by Muhammad Ali’s suspension from boxing. Big George had won Olympic gold in Mexico City as an amateur and did not look back after turning professional, dominating the then undefeated Frazier in 1973 to become the undisputed champion. He lost the title to Ali in Zaire and then took a year off fighting before beating Frazier again, retiring and finding god. Foreman did not fight for 10 years, returning to the ring in 1987 at the age of 38. Four years later he went against undisputed heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield and valiantly lost on points. Foreman got another shot at the title in 1994 when the 45-year-old former champ took on 26-year-old Michael Moorer. Despite being on the back foot for nine rounds, Big George won by knockout in the 10th to become the oldest heavyweight champion of the world, regaining his title two decades after losing it.