When Roger Federer announced his retirement this week, he was showered with hosannas befitting one of the greatest men’s tennis players of all time.
But was he merely one of the greatest? Or was he the greatest of them all?
It’s not hard to declare a favorite player the best ever and then seek out statistics to justify the argument. Let’s come at it from the other direction and look at numbers first to see where they lead.
Grand Slam Wins
If any single number has been widely accepted as the ultimate measure of a tennis great, it is the number of Grand Slam tournaments won.