Federer stands tallest in deep pool of talent

Swiss maestro Roger Federer not only stands alone at the top of the list of grand slam men’s winners with 18 titles, but he has done so against some of the best men’s players of all time.

At his peak he was ranked World No 1 for a record 302 weeks in a row, while he spent a staggering 14 years continuously ranked in the top eight players from October 2002 to 2016, which is an amazing achievement, given the strong depth of men’s tennis throughout that period.

Fed’s memorable rivalries are what make his achievements astonishing.

He has been part of the ‘Big Four’ with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, who have dominated the men’s game since 2003. Federer has also been involved in notable rivalries with other grand slam winners such Andre Agassi, Marat Safin and Stan Wawrinka.

One look at the list of grand slam men’s winners of all time shows Federer at the top with 18, four ahead of his great rival Nadal, 14, who is tied in second place with Pete Sampras. Djokovic sits fourth equal with 12, while Agassi has won eight slams and sits in the top 10 of all time, while Murray has won three.

This depth shows just how tough it has been for Federer, who turned professional in 1998 and has 1087 singles career singles victories, including winning an Olympic gold medal in doubles (with Wawrinka) and a silver medal in singles, along with helping his country Switzerland to Davis Cup and Hopman Cup titles.

His latest Australian Open success saw him defeat four of the world’s top 10 men’s players on his way to his 18th grand slam title, at the ripe old age of 35.

Not only has Federer achieved plenty on the court, he has also made a difference off the court.

In 2003, he set up the Roger Federer Foundation, to help disadvantaged children and has been involved in fundraising relief efforts worldwide, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

Federer has also appeared in two ‘Matches for Africa’ against his rivals Nadal and Wawrinka to raise money for charity.

Roger Federer is a champion, both on and off the court.