There is only one Roger Federer, no-one plays tennis quite like Federer. The greatest player of all time? How do you define that? It’s a very tricky question to be categorical about.

There are two ways to view so many issues in life: the emotional perspective and the clinical perspective. For over a decade, both of these pointed me in the direction of: ‘Yes. Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all time.’ Especially once you’ve seen the man play, in person, at a Grand Slam. It is a ticket you cannot regret.

There’s also the holistic view you can take on an athlete, the perspective that examines the whole person. How the man carries himself. How he interacts with people, what his relationships look like, how he acknowledges his opponents, how he copes with disappointment and success.

Focusing on statistics: he held the no 1 ranking for 310 weeks and won 103 ATP tournaments including 20 Grand Slams (hampered by injuries late in his career). Novak Djokovic is on 21 Slams (and will win more), Rafael Nadal has won 22, and Serena Williams has won 23. Roger has had rivalries and enthralling contests with other elite male players such as Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Pat Rafter, Marat Safin amongst other ridiculously talented professional players ..

A rivalry for the ages

Roger Federer’s tennis was and is elegance personified. He is a class act. He didn’t hurry around a tennis court, he glided (ok, sometimes he did hurry). His technique was flawless. Equally comfortable at the baseline or net, an aggressive all-court player with a magnificent serve, unteachable touch at the net and around the court, outstanding footwork and athleticism, intensely driven, with an extremely controlled temperament.

When looked at objectively, there is only one rivalry that really matters: Federer vs Nadal. Roger vs Rafa was the single most fascinating rivalry in the history of tennis. Even overshadowing Sampras vs Agassi, Bjorg vs McEnroe and Lendl vs McEnroe, these two were on another level. Their contests were otherworldly.

The one gapping wound in Federer’s tennis resume is the series of brutal losses inflicted on him at Roland Garros, by Nadal. The red dirt + Rafa = the ultimate challenge and a crucible for Federer in Paris. Nadal is almost unplayable, unbeatable, on clay.

• 2006 Final, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 Nadal
• 2007 Final, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Nadal
• 2008 Final, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 Nadal
• 2009 Final, 6–1, 7–6 (7–1), 6–4 Federer (defeat Söderling)
• 2011 Final, 7–5, 7–6 (7–3), 5–7, 6–1 Nadal

Federer won eight Wimbledon titles between 2003-2017. An unparalleled achievement at the time. Monumental. A brilliant superhuman-esque sporting achievement. Federer made Wimbledon his own, his hallowed turf.

Rafa owned Paris. Roger had the keys to London.

After his 2003-2007 domination, he managed to win Wimbledon three more times in 2009, 2012, 2017. Rafa won it in 2008 (an epic 6–4, 6–4, 6–7 (5–7), 6–7 ( 8–10), 9–7 vs Federer) and 2010.

The bittersweet irony of Roger Federer’s career is that without his rivalry with Rafael Nadal, there is arguably no debate as to whether he is the greatest tennis player of all time. The two careers have been intrinsically linked. He has had epic wins against Nadal and devastating losses to Nadal. Take Nadal out of the equation, and Federer almost certainly wins another 4-6 Grand Slams, maybe more.

Gladiators and brothers – a rivalry like no other

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have had the greatest individual professional sporting rivalry of all-time. They each prevented the other from complete domination of their sport. While their respective careers skyrocketed in parallel, they kept each other in check.

As the years have rolled by, they have become warmer. Close friends. Genteel. Gladiators on the court, friendly colleagues off the court. Brotherly rivals when there could have been some serious ill-feeling between them.

It’s heart warming. It epitomises the best aspects of sportsmanship and what the love of a sport should be all about. These two men, supremely talented, incredibly wealthy, the elite of the elite, intensely competitive and tough athletes, have become close friends while also battling intensely and inflicting some huge disappointments on each other. Despite that, they are fond of each other, jovial and revered ambassadors for the sport of tennis. Along with some other guys.

They are role models. Their relationship as fierce rivals and as friends is endearing. They have demonstrated that those two concepts are not mutually exclusive. Which is a rarity.

Mirka Federer

Without a doubt, the main woman behind Federer deserves a huge amount of credit as well. Mirka Federer was a professional player also. She retired young, in her early 20s. She was in a relationship with Roger early, at the age of 20 when they met at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. They married in 2009 and started a family the same year. She is his discreet, outwardly unflappable, rock.

The better angels of our nature

They all shed plenty of tears today. Roger, Rafa and Mirka. In my opinion, Nadal will struggle to continue his career now, without Federer as his main rival and benchmark. Maybe he will focus on stealing a few more Slams from Djokovic and that will continue to inspire him. He is still an incredibly durable, competitive and formidable elite player, despite his age and the repair-work done to his knee. Which is a scary thing for an elite athlete to bounce back from.

Roger and Rafa are a heart warming example of what we can be as intensely competitive beings in capitalistic societies. What we should aspire to be. We are all competitors. For income, for opportunities, for status.

Modern society is obsessed with competition.

The end of an era in professional tennis today. A magnificent athlete and competitor, a highly likeable person, a tennis legend. Roger Federer is irreplaceable. Roger Federer is one of a kind.

He will be missed.