Roger Federer: Number 16 on Its Way?

Amidst a rain delayed 2009 US Open, one man will try to make history tonight. Or at least try to equal it. And not surprisingly, that man is none other than Roger Federer, arguably the world's greatest tennis player. Ever. Tonight, he will try to equal Bill Tilden's record of winning six US Open titles in a row, that Tilden accomplished almost 90 years ago. If he manages to do that, Federer will also become the first man since Rod Laver, in 1966, to win 3 Grand Slams in a row.

Roger Federer: The Best Tennis Player Ever?
Today, Roger Federer is a household name, with fans stretching all over the globe. His impact on the sport of tennis has been unlike any other champion in any other sport. His titles, awards, and records speak volumes on that. Taking tennis to another level, there is little that Federer has left to prove. Of course, critics will be fast to point out that Roger was never comfortable playing against Rafael Nadal, especially in the last year or so. They will also bring to notice the Australian Open defeat of Federer to Nadal, the fact that Federer won the French without defeating Nadal, and the absence of Nadal in Roger's Wimbledon victory. However, that fact remains that Federer, at the age of 28, has 15 Grand Slam titles, more than any other male tennis player in the world. Despite what critics think about his French Open victory, winning the French Open gave Federer a Career Grand Slam - he has now won all the 4 major grand slams at least once. A fact not easy to overlook considering that only 5 men in the history of tennis have managed to achieve it so far. All the titles and records have led to the sobriquet 'Best Tennis Player of His Generation'. While there can certainly be no doubt about this, is Roger ready for the next step? Can he be called the 'Best Tennis Player of All Time'? There are many who think so, and many who don't. Fortunately, Roger's career is far from over, and at the rate he is playing tennis, there seems to be no reason why he can't cross 20 Grand Slams or more, giving him the chance to prove without doubt that he may well be the best tennis player ever.

Federer at the US Open
Roger's presence at Flushing Meadows over the years have produced marvelous results and an array of astounding facts. The most important of these is that he has won 5 US Open Titles from 2004 through 2008, and is vying for a record equaling 6th consecutive US Open Title today. Interestingly, for his 5 US Open victories, Federer defeated 5 different players in the finals. His current attempt for the title will see him play yet another player, making it 6 different opponents in the last 6 finals. In 2004, he defeated Lleyton Hewitt, in 2005 Andre Agassi, 2006 Andy Roddick, 2007 Novak Djokovic, and 2008 Andy Murray. In 2009, he will take on Juan Martin Del Potro, who defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, bursting the 'Federer-Nadal Final' bubble that all were hoping for. Federer obviously hasn't lost a match at the US Open since 2004, making him the first player in the Open Era to win 40 consecutive matches at Flushing Meadows. He has also reached the finals of a Grand Slam 21 times, and the semifinals a record 22 consecutive times. At the 2009 US Open, Federer will try to take his Singles Grand Slam tally to 16, the most by any other male player. His closest competition is Rafael Nadal with 6 Singles Grand Slam Titles.

Besides his impressive presence at the US Open, Roger Federer has similarly intimidated players at the Wimbledon, and to some extent, the Australian Open. The only major where he has to make an indelible mark is the French Open. That being said, Roger does have a French Open victory, and had made it to the finals there as often as the other majors, but his dominance on clay is not as much as on grass and the other surfaces. A good judge of this dominance is the fact that he is the only male player who has reached the finals of all the Grand Slams for more than two years at a stretch. Further adding to this is the fact that he has been seeded number one at 18 consecutive grand slam tournaments.

So the question that remains is, will Roger Federer be able to defeat Juan Martin Del Potro in tonight's final? Incidentally, this is the second time in 40 years that the US Open Finals will be played on a Monday, the last being in 2008. In 2008, amidst rain delays and rescheduled matches, Federer successfully defended his title, defeating Andy Murray in a Monday Night Final. Will history repeat itself? Will we get to see an emotional Federer winning his first title after becoming a father? Only time will tell. All the Federer fans are hoping that this will be number 16, and looking at the level of consistency he has maintained over the years, I dare day he deserves it.