You have all heard comments made by players that “the guys is No. 1. He is the best.” But is being No. 1 synonymous with being the best in the World? Is Roger the best player in the world?
Yes and no in my opinion. Achieving the No. 1 status in the world means that you are the most consistent tennis player in the world. It’s sort of like being the No. 1 seed in the NBA. But at the end of the season, whoever has the most Grand Slams should be the No. 1. The Tennis Masters Cup is simply the pro bowl of tennis and does not show who is the best player in the world. Winning it would help break the tie in my opinion (if two players have won 2 player have won 2 slams in a year).
But going back to Roger Federer. Roger Federer still is the best player in the world due to the fact that he is better than Nadal on 2 surfaces and slightly better on the third. I know I am going to get a lot of heat for claiming that Roger is better than Nadal on grass but he really is. Nadal played out of his mind in that match and Federer was maybe playing 90%. I firmly believe that 10% makes a whole lot of difference at this level.
The problem with Federer is that he loses his focus and confidence against Nadal. You have lost to your rival 12 times and the other 6 times that you have won were really close. You can’t go in to a matchup with this guy claiming that you are still confident. This stuff wears on you and your mind. That’s why I felt Roger would’ve beaten anyone else with ease in that Final except Nadal.
But Federer’s status as the best player in the world is under the threat due to the fact that he has been poor on more important points. History shows that true No. 1s take advantage of break points and important points better than the other guys in the top 10. The difference between a very good player and an excellent player could really be a couple of points (break points). Federer has been poor at breaking his rival Nadal, and he has paid the price this year. The same can be said for his performance against Djokovic, Tipsarevic, and Stepanek. Does that mean Federer is on the decline? Maybe but he is still the best. But others are closing on him and Federer’s shotmaking ability will not be able to justify his position for long.
So the No. 1 ranking should really be about slams and that is why Nadal will assume that ranking at the end of the year. Nadal is actually in a very interesting position. He can end up the year as No. 2 with 2 slams. That really shouldn’t be possible. Having said that, Federer has not lost in 1st rounds, so you can’t blame him for having enough points to hold off Nadal. At the end of the day, Federer can solidify his position as the best player in the world by beating Djokovic and Nadal convincingly on the hardcourts. Anything but that and it’s bust for the Fedex.