The GOAT conundrum

IN PERSPECTIVE

Comparisons are loathsome. In sports, they can breed unhealthy rivalries between equals. How, for example, does one choose the best in a classy game like tennis? Are grand slam victories the criteria for excellence? Or, the style, elegance and allure of a player on and off the court? This is not football or cricket, where players are judged by their victories alone. Here, the entire persona of a player counts. The legendary Arthur Ashe, one of the best tennis players of all time, not only excelled in the game but was an icon of grace, humility and courage. His tryst with AIDS was in itself a game he played with dignity.

Among the three contenders for the Greatest of all Time (GOAT) title, we have Raphael Nadal, who is one of the celebrated athletes of this century. At age eight, he won his first tennis championship. As a teenager, he won his first Grand Slam singles title. Last year, he won his 20th Grand Slam after defeating a world champion. An unpretentious player, he simply walks out there and gives all he has to the game. His sincerity shines through and he has never lost his cool while playing. He does not question an umpire’s judgement, nor does he break down if he loses a match. Has anybody seen Nadal breaking a tennis racquet in anger? He is the favourite player in tennis courts, wearing the logo of a bull on one shoe, reciting a prayer before a serve, and accepting defeat or victory with the same half-smile. Nadal is an inspiration to sportspersons. He plays with intensity and passion, celebrates success modestly and accepts defeat gracefully. If tennis is one of the most popular games today with its wide global reach, Rafa partly made it so.

The next contender for the GOAT title is the world’s Number One player, Novak Djokovic, who recently declared after a run of extraordinary victories, including his 20th Grand Slam at Wimbledon, “I consider myself the best and I believe that I am the best, otherwise I wouldn't be talking confidently about winning slams and making history.”

Although Tokyo proved his Waterloo shortly after this statement, Djokovic is right. He has taken tennis to new heights and will go down as the most extraordinary tennis player of all time. According to earlier masters of the game, the tennis that Djokovic plays may be “cold and clinical”; it may even be boring at times. That’s because his aim is not to entertain but to succeed. He is a player who has poured his heart and soul into the game. Yet, let us admit it is no waltz. When he plays, you are not seeing a ballet dancer on court, but a gangly spider stretching and seeing in eight directions at the same time. This singular player reminds you of the talented Amritraj brothers, Anand and Vijay, whom a sports journalist once described as “a sight to see on the tennis court, but a vision to behold when they play.”

Djokovic can play extraordinarily well even as the spectators are jeering or rooting for his opponent. His concentration, determination and perseverance to win are simply amazing. But, his bluntness of speech and his “unfiltered comments”— added to his temper tantrums, like breaking racquets and destroying property— have sadly tarnished his image. His unprofessional behaviour in Tokyo recently, when he angrily threw his racquet into the spectators’ gallery after losing all his matches, is just one more example of why this great champion will never have swooning fans as does Roger Federer, the third contender for the title of GOAT.

Federer’s tennis has been called poetry in play. It reminds you of a Mozart symphony. The beauty, grace and elegance of his tennis are unmatched. Whether he wins or loses is immaterial to his legions of fans. They are carried away by his effortless style, which makes you believe that playing tennis is a picnic. The mystery of his tennis is making it seem like child’s play.

Yet, all this does not take away the fact that he has remained the unbeatable tennis supremo for over two decades. Ever since that fateful day in July when, as another sports journalist described it -- “this teenager from Switzerland sauntered into sacred territory and knocked down the ‘trespassers not allowed’ signboard before knocking out Pete Sampras” -- Roger Federer has since been the uncrowned king of the game.

Federer’s gift to the world of tennis is priceless. He made every match and every stroke a magical experience as no other player did. And then, of course, his impeccable behaviour on and off the court; his courtesy to all the participants, from the ball boys to the umpire; his remarkable empathy with the spectators have added up to his immense popularity. Notwithstanding critics like former champions John McEnroe or Boris Becker, who are not impressed with his fan following -- “a player whose used shirts sell like precious relics” -- Roger Federer has earned his rightful place in the tennis hall of fame.

Although, comparisons are still loathsome.