Spring Break
Federer King Of The Court, Sport World
John Frascella
Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Sports
While the rest of America watched football Sunday, Roger Federer was doing what he always does - winning a major tournament and adding to his legacy, the most underappreciated sports superstar in the universe.
Federer bested 20-year-old phenom Novak Djokovic in straight sets to capture his fourth consecutive U.S. Open title and 12th career Grand Slam. Federer won 7-6, 7-6 and 6-4 to become the first to win four straight in the tournament's 38-year history.
Federer was clearly off his game, committing an uncharacteristically high number of unforced errors and carelessly giving away points to Djokovic.
That is exactly what makes him the best athlete on the planet. Federer was struggling with his serve-and-volley consistency and facing a hungry, worthy opponent - and still didn't lose a set. Djokovic is one of the top five players in the world and, with the exception of a few chokes under pressure, played up to his potential.
In spite of that, Federer shut him out.
That's the equivalent of a fever-stricken Kobe Bryant dominating LeBron James in one-on-one.
The distance between Federer and the rest of the pack is matched only by Tiger Woods in golf. Woods has won 14 major titles to Federer's 12. However, Woods' victories have come over a 10-year span, while Federer's have come in six years. Federer is averaging two major victories a year, to Tiger's 1.4. That means every two years, Federer wins one more major than Tiger.
So yes, Tiger is a dominant, incredible athlete, but Federer is the best. Golf is an extremely difficult game, but tennis requires more raw athleticism - sprinting, stopping, diving, leaping, side-stepping and back-peddling - just another reason why I give Federer the edge.
Like Michael Jordan in his prime, Federer captivates his audience. As I watched football and tennis simultaneously through picture-and-picture, I noticed my friends' attention shifting from the Bears-Chargers game to Federer. I heard:
"Wow, did you see that shot?"
"How does he do that?"
"He makes it look so easy."
Remember, this was an off day for Federer and my friends don't like tennis, either.
All that said, perhaps most impressive about Federer is his mind-numbing humility. I know if I were as talented and successful as him, I'd have an entourage of thousands of celebrities, entertainers and fellow athletes.
Roger only needs a few friends and family members.
With all the money and fame he has, I'd probably have a parade with drummers, dancers and circus acts following me around everywhere I went.
Roger keeps a low profile.
I know I'd be all over TV and radio and I'd have more commercials than Peyton Manning.
Roger shies away from publicity.
Maybe we should take it upon ourselves to give him a little more attention.
John Frascella's column appears every Wednesday. He can be reached at
John.Frascella@UConn.edu.
Federer bested 20-year-old phenom Novak Djokovic in straight sets to capture his fourth consecutive U.S. Open title and 12th career Grand Slam. Federer won 7-6, 7-6 and 6-4 to become the first to win four straight in the tournament's 38-year history.
Federer was clearly off his game, committing an uncharacteristically high number of unforced errors and carelessly giving away points to Djokovic.
That is exactly what makes him the best athlete on the planet. Federer was struggling with his serve-and-volley consistency and facing a hungry, worthy opponent - and still didn't lose a set. Djokovic is one of the top five players in the world and, with the exception of a few chokes under pressure, played up to his potential.
In spite of that, Federer shut him out.
That's the equivalent of a fever-stricken Kobe Bryant dominating LeBron James in one-on-one.
The distance between Federer and the rest of the pack is matched only by Tiger Woods in golf. Woods has won 14 major titles to Federer's 12. However, Woods' victories have come over a 10-year span, while Federer's have come in six years. Federer is averaging two major victories a year, to Tiger's 1.4. That means every two years, Federer wins one more major than Tiger.
So yes, Tiger is a dominant, incredible athlete, but Federer is the best. Golf is an extremely difficult game, but tennis requires more raw athleticism - sprinting, stopping, diving, leaping, side-stepping and back-peddling - just another reason why I give Federer the edge.
Like Michael Jordan in his prime, Federer captivates his audience. As I watched football and tennis simultaneously through picture-and-picture, I noticed my friends' attention shifting from the Bears-Chargers game to Federer. I heard:
"Wow, did you see that shot?"
"How does he do that?"
"He makes it look so easy."
Remember, this was an off day for Federer and my friends don't like tennis, either.
All that said, perhaps most impressive about Federer is his mind-numbing humility. I know if I were as talented and successful as him, I'd have an entourage of thousands of celebrities, entertainers and fellow athletes.
Roger only needs a few friends and family members.
With all the money and fame he has, I'd probably have a parade with drummers, dancers and circus acts following me around everywhere I went.
Roger keeps a low profile.
I know I'd be all over TV and radio and I'd have more commercials than Peyton Manning.
Roger shies away from publicity.
Maybe we should take it upon ourselves to give him a little more attention.
John Frascella's column appears every Wednesday. He can be reached at
John.Frascella@UConn.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jonathan
posted 9/13/07 @ 4:47 PM EST
The things that you said about Federer are interesting except your comparison with Kobe and Lebron. That's not fair enough. I like your write up though. (Continued…)
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