I've always been a big Federer fan, but watching this, I finally realized why I appreciate HIS particular greatness more. Watch Nadal or Murray or Djokovic. When they're playing their best, they make great gets and hit amazing shots and are running themselves red in the face. Federer does all of that. But when he's playing like this it just looks effortless. There's an element of chess (strategy) in his play where he's 3-4 "moves" (shots) ahead and the final shot is just some little volley. There's a grace and fluidity that other players don't have.
What separates him from anybody else ever is the effortlessness of his game, and his amazing ability to take the hit the ball so cleanly on the rise. In terms of problem solving and overall build-up of the point though, both Nadal and Djokovic are ahead of him. Not saying Federer is not an all-time great in that department too, but his two rivals do edge him in that regard.
I get your point for the most part, but I feel Djokovic at his best can also look effortless (to some degree). An example of this is the AO 2019 Final v Rafa
@@ZeBestBagguetCrGd that’s false and a fallacy created by desperate Lederer fans. Because Lederer obviously had the worst career, fans try to create their own biased story about how his prime/peak should be the best, which is dumb and false . Novaks prime was better and more consistent and more dominant. You do understand that Lederer played in a WEAK ERA.
Desperate fanboys of Nole, the King of the Weakest Era Ever (together with 2017/2020 WTA), wanting to pretend Nole wasn'badly kicked in the ass so many times by Roger, even when the age difference was giving a huge advantage to the Serbian. His ass was kicked even in 2019 Finals. Top Federer was out of reach for Nole. Get peace with this notorious fact. Of course, Nole has (had?) the consistency. The greatest consistency ever, which allowed him to embarrassingly dominate this embarrassingly weak era. The most winning player ever, NOT the best player ever. Period.
I could just watch him hit ground strokes all day. I've never seen a player make extremely hard shots look so effortless. The athletic ability is off the charts, a once in a lifetime kind of player. I will miss not seeing him at the majors. Hopefully he has a few more in him.
Tennis died when Fed retired, it’s no longer interesting watching these baseline grinders. Well it never was to begin with but now we only have that left.
@@FExpiate I can relate mate. I am thoroughly enjoying young Carlos Alcaraz because he channels the Maestro's aggressive play by coming in and actually volleying beautifully. Tennis purity is gone with Roger, but Carlos is no chopped liver.
2 things: 1. Roger was insanely fast - up there with Rafa and Novak - when he was in his mid-20s; 2. Roger is the greatest offensive tennis player ever. RESPECT from a Rafa (and general tennis) fan.
I think his speed was so deceptive too, because he just dominated with his shot selection and hardly displayed it compared to players like Rafa or Hewitt. Roger really was technically perfect, paired with a prime athlete's physique.
All of these matches are amazing, but for me, the craziest was 6-0 6-0 against Gaston Gaudio. Please remember, at this time, GG was a top 10 player, and this happened at the year end finals. Roger had gone 81-3. Read that again... 81 wins, and only 3 losses, so far in the year. His form was crazy.
@Johnny Royalle You are kind of preaching to the choir-I am more of a Novak fan than a RF fan. But you sound irrational here; your comment about the 140 mph serve proves this. Novak doesn’t have the size for this. Your whole essay sounds like the exposition of the infatuated. RF has more innate talent than Nole does. At his prime, RF would annihilate Novak, even though I think overall Novak is the GOAT.
@Johnny Royalle Oh, I didn't catch the hyperbole. My bad. It's interesting that you focus on equipment...not many people do, and I haven't given as much thought. It does make some sense though...When Novak is playing "magically" (as you described some of RF's performances), he reminds of Fed in his heyday, actually. Like everything just seems to work, even very low percentage shots...like the court and game become some kind of canvas and the performance approaches artistry. Novak's been playing like that (except his loss to Zverev...disappointing, that was).
The thing is that Federer does it to Blake and thus looks great. Rafa and Novak have done it to Federer in grand slams! So that can't be so one sided right?
@@utkarshdeshmukh6414 I’m not sure that Novak or Rafa have ever dominated Fed like Fed dominates Blake here. In fact, they are more known for their epic, greatest of all time five setters.
Those backhands against Blake were out of this world. Never seen Nadal or Djokovic produce anything similar, so consistent, so aggressive, so flawless. Like the commentator said: it was a privilege to watch this level of perfection, never seen before etcetc. There is only one GOAT.
I felt like Blake was uplifted by what he had to face and played arguably his best tennis ever, some unreal agressive winners from his side as well, but there was just no way Fed would lose on that day
Forget who ends up wining the most grandslams, if we are asking who is the greatest player ever, then it is Federer, hands down. Technically speaking, he is the best. I think he won 20 without breaking a sweat, I actually think he has underachieved in his career and should have won 30 he is that good.
There may be many debates regarding the GOAT, but tbh, watching him especially in his prime does not leave any room for discussion at all....he simply glides across the court!
Courts are much slower now than they were in 2006, can't hit through the line like that anymore. Also he was using Blake's pace mostly to redirect his backhands
Balletic movement, razor - sharp decision making and shots to send you into a spin. Federer creates memories as well as records - I can't say that of any other current player! THANK YOU ROGER
It's just a whole different brand of tennis. The young guys now are just slugging it out from behind the baseline, with maybe the exception of Alcaraz.
@@videotrack9033 Djokovic started beating Federer more consistently after 2013. I do think that Djokovic will break all records ultimately but I am not sure if a Prime Djokovic can consistently beat a Prime Federer. A 2011/2015 Djoker vs 2006 Federer: I would put money on Federer on any court except may be Australian Open.
We can argue nowadays about Nole and Rafa having a shot at 🐐, and I mean, there's a point in it and nobody would dismiss the greatness of the two players. But seeing prime Roger play is poetry. It's a work of art, is mystical and magical. Even if he'll end his career winning less than the other 2, nobody will make me change the idea that his purest form is the best tennis ever played.
Federer did it against opponents who were not at his level. Rafa and Novak have done it against each other and against Federer as well. Those matches can't be this one sided right? Hence, you can't see that flair or ease in which they play!
@@utkarshdeshmukh6414 rafa almost lost to korda this year shut up about easier opponents Roger hasn't played much longer than them and Andy Murray and Nadal are in is video and are some of the best of all time
@@lincolnyoung6894 You wanna count losses and that too almost of Rafa? Federer may have all the flair that he wants but he's 3-0 in Wimbledon finals vs Novak. Greatest on grass, is he? Has reached 1 US open final in 12 yrs, and lost that too. King in US? Massacred on clay everytime. Trails 4-1 and 3-1 to Novak and Rafa in AO. Not one surface, where he's the best. Let alone the GOAT ✌️
The volley at 26:31 is honestly the best short-hop volley I've seen, from anyone, ever. Actually all of those three volleys against Zverev were masterful. Truly artistic.
Really miss federer playing, every time I watched him was so graceful on the court and definitely one of the few players to me that made the game look ridiculously easy
While this video shows Federer genius without a doubt, what is also glaringly obvious is the slowing down of surfaces in the 2010s versus the noughties. Look at the ball travel on European hard courts when RF played Blake or Agassi in Houston versus the painful to watch slugfests on concrete clay in matches against Nadal and Djokovkic. And people think Fed gets the surfaces he wants!
I really don't get the obsession with court speeds. Federer still adapts and wins titles even nowadays. AO, Indian Wells, Cinci, USO, Shanghai are all still medium-fast + hard court tournaments. The game was every changing even in the early 2000s, the surfaces were inevitably going to slow down no matter what.
It's either Federer's age or the court speed to justify why he isn't winning that much anymore. Guess what, it's the same for everybody so adapt to it and get used to it. I don't care if the court speed was slowed down a little bit, otherwise we wouln't get much "tennis" as there would be so many aces and service winners, even more than now which is still a lot. Of course the serve is part of the game but i prefer medium to longer rallies than just serving. There used to be rallies in the 70's but the raquets and the physical aspect of the game were very different so if cou played on such fast courts today with the improvements of raquets and everything there would barely be any rally.
I remember that match... that moment was completely surreal, a bit like he had turned on Kaiohken for 5min just to remind us how beautiful tennis can be. He lost the match iirc, but all I could remember after it was these few points from 5-6 0-40, pure magic.
Even as a Djokovic fan, but more importantly a tennis fan, Roger Federer is still God's greatest gift to the game. Yes my GOAT is Djokovic, but Roger is by far the most influential person for tennis. The fact that this guy just has sheer talent to still go on to R64 in slams at the age of 40 is absolutely incredible. Unpopular opinion, 2015 Fed was one of Fed's best attacking years and only fell short to peak Novak. If you ever read this comment please do watch the 2015 semi final between him and Andy Murray. It's a pleasure to the eye to witness such fine art.
Yesss, that 2015 SF against Murray! Murray played one of the best matches I’ve seen him play but had NO answer to what Fed threw at him. I believe he even shouted to his box “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?!” at some point during the match haha. After that I was convinced Fed was going to demolish Djoko in the final but alas it wasn’t meant to be 😢
When Roger is in god mode, he has displayed the highest level of tennis in history. For me his top 3 performances ever are: 1. Blake Masters Cup Final 2006 2. Nadal Indian Wells 2017 3. Djokovic RG 2011
@@mantaishere exactly. The matchup is more entertaining to me personally than Fedal but it’s ruined completely because of choking by Roger not converting break points 90% of the match.
@@__jan6113 It honestly bugs me that the excitement of not knowing who's going to win on any given day has all but gone from this rivalry, but I can't expect NoleCult to care about Federer's competitiveness fading in this match-up. I'm not complaining about Federer's recent success against Rafa, for example.
etikkboksen not really a snowflake, just aware that could be seen as offensive. Rafa has to make an effort to learn your language and speak it for your television programs and you’re making fun of the way he speaks. Not being snowflake, just being compassionate.
All these years I fried my chicken before every live match of Federer and set the dinner in front of the TV and had the greatest time of my life watching the most beautiful complete player on earth. A genius, an artist and a magician on the tennis court. Without him it is becoming tough for me to watch tennis though Nadal and Djokovic are playing at their best. I like both of them but.....
Same to me. Don’t watch tennis much anymore after Roger decided to stop his beatifull career. It is not the same anymore. I had very young dry eyes when he said good bye to the big tennis world, in a very emotional event at the Rod Laver Cup. ❤❤❤
I'd say he was also in God mode against Djokovic at last year's ATP Finals RR. His serves had no response, and Djokovic had only one break point during the whole match!
The most absurd thing about Federer’s match against Blake in 2006 was the fact that Blake actually played incredibly well, but Federer literally played perfectly. Even Djokovic or Nadal on their best days wouldn’t have been able to compete with that performance from Federer.
Yeah Blake was hitting the ball with such power at times and federer would just calmly swat the ball down the line with a backhand winner like it was nothing best player I’ve ever watched.
Greatness cannot be strictly defined by the numbers. Those who try to encapsulate greatness in that vacuum are sure to never understand true greatness. Roger was and is the definitive GOAT. He changed the game and ushered in the common era with grace and deadly accuracy. His impact is unmatched. His rivalries throughout his career ensured a dominance that no other era has or likely will eclipse. He pushed his peers to greater heights who, in turn, pushed him to an even greater stand. He is and always will be the standard that all players are measured by. His appeal and draw may only be matched by Nadal. His career and impact will never be repeated by any player. That's greatness. Roger Federer--the Greatest of All Time.
Gave 4 different top 5 players (3 of them legends of the sport) a bagel in a Masters Cup/ATP Finals event. I think is fair enough to say there will never be another one like Roger.
If only they hadn't slowed all the hard courts down, Federer's game was developed during the Sampras era, reach and pace over defense. He's clearly adapted (French open win) but if the courts were of his natural inclination he'd be even more winning.
That ATP 2006 Final is just Federer at his very best. Look at how fast the court was and the balls seem to be smaller and quicker making what he did to Blake all the more amazing. It's such a shame this man has to get old. I will miss this.
Yup exactly. Lots of people think Novak is the true GOAT because of recency bias from 2011 onwards, but Federer in his prime is the best player to ever live.
no service lost in the entire week,no set lost,beating djokovic and murray back to back,coming up with the SABR,that tournament is one of the best in federer career,i wish he would have faced nadal in the quarters,so that he could beat the big 4 in a row,that would have been even better.
That first match against Murray at ATP Finals was for the first time ever I saw Roger playing live. It was wonderful performance but on the other hand I was little bit disappointed that he destroyed Murray so quickly - under an hour :D
@@DjokovicIsOurLordAndSaviour No he didn't, Murray was playing terribly. Of their 25 meetings, Murray has won 11, he also has three grand slams. RF can't put Murray away 6-0, 6-1 when Murray is actually on form.
Philly Cheese Take Murray is a kid next to Roger, every single big match they play Roger always wins, that's why he always lost to Roger in all GS finals they played. You must be grateful he gifted a set in that double bagel humilliation.
Weak era this weak era that... The only reason the current era isnt called "weak" is because this man continued to play till 38 despite all the injuries
@@samrattamuly8157 Australian Open changed its surface in 2008 from Rebound Ace to Plexicushion. Federer had the best record on the Rebound Ace surface. RIP Rebound Ace.
Not in 2008. In 2008 Nadal crushed his soul and gave him the most stinging defeats along with AO 2009. Federer was a changed player after that. He still won more Slams but his champion mindset was broken. Courts also started getting very slow right around 2008 so that hurt his game a lot too.
@@apathak34 i think his prime ended at the end of 2012. After that age, surface, a younger djokovic started beating him. He still kicked ass in 2009 big time and aussie 2010 was one of his highest levels. I mean come on he made like 23 straight slam semis till french 2010, that streak had to lose sometime. I dont think there was a better player than the fed that was trying to beat sampras’s record.
@@apathak34 the only player that could give fed real trouble was nadal not djokovic, because of his playstyle with high spin to the backhand and his crazy defensive abilities in retrieving federers huge grounstrokes and serve. But on fast courts federer is in a league of his own, thats his natural surface just like nadal on clay or djokovic on slow hard
when feds in the zone, hes like no other player. Even novak and nadal admit that when he was in that zone he was unplayable. Whats so special about watching him play is just how easy he makes it look. no ones ever made the game look so easy , its actually quite amazing to watch.
he is the most skilled player in the history, not strongest (physically and mentally) not the fastest but his skills....my god its something we will never see again
Forget about the stats and who has won the most tournaments. The reason why Federer is the GOAT is quite simple, he played the game on a completely different level to everyone else. His shot making was pure genius.
Gaston Gaudio was honestly playing out of his mind!! It's unbelievable how one-sided the scoreboard looks. I guess that truly qualifies as god mode on Roger's part! Haha
Two matches that really should have been here: Cincinnati R3 vs. Kevin Anderson in 2015 - 6-1, 6-1. Insane performance. Basel SF vs. David Goffin in 2017 - 6-1, 6-2. Never even seen Federer play faster than that.
As a big fan of Djokovic, I know that Federers prime is the highest lvl of tennis ever played by anyone. His personality on & office the court made tennis what it is & created Nadal & Djokovic. He is bigger than tennis
Federer's tennis is pure art.
Согласен с вами на 100 % , Роджер настоящий виртуоз !
Art The Clown ? He certainly " Murders " his opponents ! :)
I've always been a big Federer fan, but watching this, I finally realized why I appreciate HIS particular greatness more.
Watch Nadal or Murray or Djokovic. When they're playing their best, they make great gets and hit amazing shots and are running themselves red in the face.
Federer does all of that. But when he's playing like this it just looks effortless. There's an element of chess (strategy) in his play where he's 3-4 "moves" (shots) ahead and the final shot is just some little volley.
There's a grace and fluidity that other players don't have.
Your comment deserves more likes. What awesome observation!
Watched it again. Federer/Agassi 2003: I didn't realize RFs backhand was already that good at age 20.
What separates him from anybody else ever is the effortlessness of his game, and his amazing ability to take the hit the ball so cleanly on the rise. In terms of problem solving and overall build-up of the point though, both Nadal and Djokovic are ahead of him. Not saying Federer is not an all-time great in that department too, but his two rivals do edge him in that regard.
@@ReuvenF957 He was 22 then.
I get your point for the most part, but I feel Djokovic at his best can also look effortless (to some degree). An example of this is the AO 2019 Final v Rafa
As a huge fan of Nadal I have no problems in saying confidently that Federer is the best tennis player of all time
Novak is ten times better than Lederer (always catching Ls)😀😅🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂
@@HehoiHehoipretty sure that's not how math works. 🤔 Maybe you should go back to school bozo. 🤡
@@HehoiHehoiI think Novak is more consistent and that has won him more championships, however when fed is playing at his peak he was unbeatable
@@ZeBestBagguetCrGd that’s false and a fallacy created by desperate Lederer fans. Because Lederer obviously had the worst career, fans try to create their own biased story about how his prime/peak should be the best, which is dumb and false . Novaks prime was better and more consistent and more dominant. You do understand that Lederer played in a WEAK ERA.
Desperate fanboys of Nole, the King of the Weakest Era Ever (together with 2017/2020 WTA), wanting to pretend Nole wasn'badly kicked in the ass so many times by Roger, even when the age difference was giving a huge advantage to the Serbian.
His ass was kicked even in 2019 Finals.
Top Federer was out of reach for Nole. Get peace with this notorious fact.
Of course, Nole has (had?) the consistency. The greatest consistency ever, which allowed him to embarrassingly dominate this embarrassingly weak era. The most winning player ever, NOT the best player ever. Period.
God mode Federer is just normal Federer when he actually converts break points
Joshua Thompson lmao
this is the most accurate thing I've ever read
This is so accurate it hurts
MUFC Ok
Mixed reactions on this one. Accurate that it really hurts.
No one else could make a commentator utter "Nadal never stood a chance." Unbelievable skills
As a fed fan I have to admit that Djokovic did that to Nadal too in China Open and Doha
Admittedly, Djokovic did that to Nadal for a lot of 2011
I could just watch him hit ground strokes all day. I've never seen a player make extremely hard shots look so effortless. The athletic ability is off the charts, a once in a lifetime kind of player. I will miss not seeing him at the majors. Hopefully he has a few more in him.
That to me is why he's the greatest...you can have more consistent and more effective players...but elegance cannot be taught.
@@dwbsai my thoughts exactly!
I will never see another player that showcases the game's beauty like only Roger Federer does.
He's brought more class and style to the game than anyone.
Totally agree, he will always be the greatest…
@@italia8647 truly the most complete and unmatched of all.
Tennis died when Fed retired, it’s no longer interesting watching these baseline grinders. Well it never was to begin with but now we only have that left.
@@FExpiate I can relate mate. I am thoroughly enjoying young Carlos Alcaraz because he channels the Maestro's aggressive play by coming in and actually volleying beautifully. Tennis purity is gone with Roger, but Carlos is no chopped liver.
2 things: 1. Roger was insanely fast - up there with Rafa and Novak - when he was in his mid-20s; 2. Roger is the greatest offensive tennis player ever. RESPECT from a Rafa (and general tennis) fan.
I think his speed was so deceptive too, because he just dominated with his shot selection and hardly displayed it compared to players like Rafa or Hewitt. Roger really was technically perfect, paired with a prime athlete's physique.
He declared to respect all [tennis players] but fear none.
His defense was underrated. His ability to backhand slice return a serve to within a foot of the opponent's baseline always amazed me.
the early-mid 2000s Roger stuff is like unreal.
All of these matches are amazing, but for me, the craziest was 6-0 6-0 against Gaston Gaudio. Please remember, at this time, GG was a top 10 player, and this happened at the year end finals. Roger had gone 81-3. Read that again... 81 wins, and only 3 losses, so far in the year. His form was crazy.
Federer must be the only player that gets a smiley “thank you for crushing me“ from his opponents.
Absolutely! They are in so much awe that they forget they have lost, except Novak who goes in seething mode.
I swear it was like a cheat code when he was in his prime definitely the best player I’ve ever watched
@@vidyasonavane9602 Novak Djokovic - powered by spite since....
The Fed we see against Blake in 2006 shows that Fed in his prime was the GOAT. No player has ever come close to this kind of ability.
@Johnny Royalle You are kind of preaching to the choir-I am more of a Novak fan than a RF fan. But you sound irrational here; your comment about the 140 mph serve proves this. Novak doesn’t have the size for this. Your whole essay sounds like the exposition of the infatuated. RF has more innate talent than Nole does. At his prime, RF would annihilate Novak, even though I think overall Novak is the GOAT.
@Johnny Royalle What's your explanation of Novak getting crushed by Zverev in the Olympics semi-final?
@Johnny Royalle Oh, I didn't catch the hyperbole. My bad. It's interesting that you focus on equipment...not many people do, and I haven't given as much thought. It does make some sense though...When Novak is playing "magically" (as you described some of RF's performances), he reminds of Fed in his heyday, actually. Like everything just seems to work, even very low percentage shots...like the court and game become some kind of canvas and the performance approaches artistry. Novak's been playing like that (except his loss to Zverev...disappointing, that was).
The thing is that Federer does it to Blake and thus looks great. Rafa and Novak have done it to Federer in grand slams! So that can't be so one sided right?
@@utkarshdeshmukh6414 I’m not sure that Novak or Rafa have ever dominated Fed like Fed dominates Blake here. In fact, they are more known for their epic, greatest of all time five setters.
Federer is the only person to have a 6-0 set on every surface against nadal and that to me is unbelievable
Fed is the only player to use the urinal at every grand slam event without wearing socks and I just think that's fantastic.
@@heatherperleberg7816holy shit how did he do that
@@Emnesie he took his socks off before he urinated. Fed's the GOAT 🐐
@@heatherperleberg7816 and with such a elegance and panache🐐
@@Emnesie the way he undid his belt with one hand was one of the most beautiful strokes in all of Tennis. God bless Raj
Those backhands against Blake were out of this world. Never seen Nadal or Djokovic produce anything similar, so consistent, so aggressive, so flawless. Like the commentator said: it was a privilege to watch this level of perfection, never seen before etcetc. There is only one GOAT.
The best backhands I've ever seen or will ever see
And just one hand to do backhand...
Federer's elegance. makes it look so effortless.
Pure perfection, absolute genius, ... How many times have you heard commentators saying the same about any other player
th-cam.com/video/cNKApfPqNf4/w-d-xo.html
Match against Blake is the most impressive imo. Blake played well but Federer was just untouchable that day
Blake's mindset: 'I should hit to his backhand, exploit the weakness' XD (3:43 summed up the match)
@@Dman9fp While Federer probably has one of the best backhand skill in the world xd
I felt like Blake was uplifted by what he had to face and played arguably his best tennis ever, some unreal agressive winners from his side as well, but there was just no way Fed would lose on that day
Fed hitting a swing volley off a Blake return near the baseline at 4:01
I completely Agree... Blake was playing very well that day, may even be his best. but Federer in GOD mode, he had absolutely little chance.!
Someone should save this video for future generations
Forget who ends up wining the most grandslams, if we are asking who is the greatest player ever, then it is Federer, hands down. Technically speaking, he is the best. I think he won 20 without breaking a sweat, I actually think he has underachieved in his career and should have won 30 he is that good.
Still watching in 2023. RF FOREVER!
There may be many debates regarding the GOAT, but tbh, watching him especially in his prime does not leave any room for discussion at all....he simply glides across the court!
"You are witnessing sheer perfection on the tennis court." Indeed.
I loved how he always seemed so calm and composed and whenever he needed it could just pull off a beautiful forehand or backhand winner
Dat backhands against James Blake, damn, wish he used those aggresive shots more often during his career
Courts are much slower now than they were in 2006, can't hit through the line like that anymore. Also he was using Blake's pace mostly to redirect his backhands
Blake put little topspin on his shots, which made it easier for Federer to return the balls. Nadal's forehand is completely different.
Federer improvises better than anyone.
MOTIVATION TUBE but you can’t play like him😂
Im just joking please don’t b mad
@@hathaway.1166 lol...who can?😂
@@pawshands9706 no one can plus I don't play tennis even though it's fun to watch
Federer hasn't beaten Djokovic at slams since God knows when, because of mono??
So true, Wimbledon 2019, he was gonna win, he improvised to make Djokovic win
Balletic movement, razor - sharp decision making and shots to send you into a spin. Federer creates memories as well as records - I can't say that of any other current player!
THANK YOU ROGER
It's just a whole different brand of tennis. The young guys now are just slugging it out from behind the baseline, with maybe the exception of Alcaraz.
Young Roger Federer must be the best thing I've ever seen
Yes I agree with you
Federer hasn't beaten Djokovic at slams since God knows when, because of mono??
@@videotrack9033 Djokovic is 6 years younger and he always beats Federer by grinding him out in 5 sets.
@@videotrack9033 Djokovic started beating Federer more consistently after 2013. I do think that Djokovic will break all records ultimately but I am not sure if a Prime Djokovic can consistently beat a Prime Federer. A 2011/2015 Djoker vs 2006 Federer: I would put money on Federer on any court except may be Australian Open.
@@codegeek-il5fm yeah I'm sure he would beat him on clay.
We can argue nowadays about Nole and Rafa having a shot at 🐐, and I mean, there's a point in it and nobody would dismiss the greatness of the two players.
But seeing prime Roger play is poetry. It's a work of art, is mystical and magical.
Even if he'll end his career winning less than the other 2, nobody will make me change the idea that his purest form is the best tennis ever played.
the best tennis ever played is Nadal on clay, but yea, prime Federer on grass and hard was ridiculously good
Federer did it against opponents who were not at his level. Rafa and Novak have done it against each other and against Federer as well. Those matches can't be this one sided right? Hence, you can't see that flair or ease in which they play!
@@utkarshdeshmukh6414 rafa almost lost to korda this year shut up about easier opponents Roger hasn't played much longer than them and Andy Murray and Nadal are in is video and are some of the best of all time
Giovanni in full agreement with you.
@@lincolnyoung6894 You wanna count losses and that too almost of Rafa? Federer may have all the flair that he wants but he's 3-0 in Wimbledon finals vs Novak. Greatest on grass, is he? Has reached 1 US open final in 12 yrs, and lost that too. King in US? Massacred on clay everytime. Trails 4-1 and 3-1 to Novak and Rafa in AO. Not one surface, where he's the best. Let alone the GOAT ✌️
Love Federer's single handed backhand.. such finesse..
Настоящее искусство !
The volley at 26:31 is honestly the best short-hop volley I've seen, from anyone, ever. Actually all of those three volleys against Zverev were masterful. Truly artistic.
Really miss federer playing, every time I watched him was so graceful on the court and definitely one of the few players to me that made the game look ridiculously easy
"He's got that reflex like a mangoose on amphetamine" must be the best quote in the history of sports announcers ever
I also like “that was wild as an unattended garden hose”
While this video shows Federer genius without a doubt, what is also glaringly obvious is the slowing down of surfaces in the 2010s versus the noughties. Look at the ball travel on European hard courts when RF played Blake or Agassi in Houston versus the painful to watch slugfests on concrete clay in matches against Nadal and Djokovkic. And people think Fed gets the surfaces he wants!
Just think of how different the current landscape could be had they not slowed the play to a snail's pace.
I really don't get the obsession with court speeds. Federer still adapts and wins titles even nowadays. AO, Indian Wells, Cinci, USO, Shanghai are all still medium-fast + hard court tournaments. The game was every changing even in the early 2000s, the surfaces were inevitably going to slow down no matter what.
It's either Federer's age or the court speed to justify why he isn't winning that much anymore. Guess what, it's the same for everybody so adapt to it and get used to it. I don't care if the court speed was slowed down a little bit, otherwise we wouln't get much "tennis" as there would be so many aces and service winners, even more than now which is still a lot. Of course the serve is part of the game but i prefer medium to longer rallies than just serving. There used to be rallies in the 70's but the raquets and the physical aspect of the game were very different so if cou played on such fast courts today with the improvements of raquets and everything there would barely be any rally.
@@tom0176devo I get what you mean but AO and Indian wells is not medium fast, it's more like slow.
Nenad Rajic Watch the US Open 2004 Hewitt vs Federer match and tell me if there are no long rallies. Tennis was beautiful to watch those days
It's just incredible that majestic back hand and just pure genius control he's the best ever without a doubt.
damn no matter how much you wanna hate on the OG, his game is straight pleasure for the eyes when he's feeling it
Roger will make you run around like crazy while he stands still like a brick and wins the point. Goat
Fed silently focuses and hits without fear. I joy to watch!
26:33 man that roar after taking Zverev's serve just indescribably emotional and goose-bumping
I remember that match... that moment was completely surreal, a bit like he had turned on Kaiohken for 5min just to remind us how beautiful tennis can be. He lost the match iirc, but all I could remember after it was these few points from 5-6 0-40, pure magic.
The one hand backhand is ruthless
Even as a Djokovic fan, but more importantly a tennis fan, Roger Federer is still God's greatest gift to the game. Yes my GOAT is Djokovic, but Roger is by far the most influential person for tennis. The fact that this guy just has sheer talent to still go on to R64 in slams at the age of 40 is absolutely incredible. Unpopular opinion, 2015 Fed was one of Fed's best attacking years and only fell short to peak Novak. If you ever read this comment please do watch the 2015 semi final between him and Andy Murray. It's a pleasure to the eye to witness such fine art.
Thank you. I’m not a Novak at all. I respect what he has accomplished you have to. However the GOAT debate is about than just numbers….
Yesss, that 2015 SF against Murray! Murray played one of the best matches I’ve seen him play but had NO answer to what Fed threw at him. I believe he even shouted to his box “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?!” at some point during the match haha. After that I was convinced Fed was going to demolish Djoko in the final but alas it wasn’t meant to be 😢
When Roger is in god mode, he has displayed the highest level of tennis in history. For me his top 3 performances ever are:
1. Blake Masters Cup Final 2006
2. Nadal Indian Wells 2017
3. Djokovic RG 2011
I add also one. Federer - Del Potro in Australian Open 2009 6:3,6:0,6:0.
found tennis bit boring until i learnt of roger f, when he moves on the court it is Art
RG 2011 - LEGENDARY. It has been frustrating to watch this match-up turn out the way it has because, when it was competitive, it was SO entertaining.
@@mantaishere exactly. The matchup is more entertaining to me personally than Fedal but it’s ruined completely because of choking by Roger not converting break points 90% of the match.
@@__jan6113 It honestly bugs me that the excitement of not knowing who's going to win on any given day has all but gone from this rivalry, but I can't expect NoleCult to care about Federer's competitiveness fading in this match-up. I'm not complaining about Federer's recent success against Rafa, for example.
The Federer one handed backhand. Pure beauty! And a dying art!
Roger is a genius at tennis. I adore seeing him play.
Truly unstoppable when he's playing like this.
The thing that is amazing about Roger Federer is how "unimpressed" he is with himself. Very rare for a man of his ability.
Well you don't get that good by standing around being impressed with yourself
7:18 Rafa’s thinking “He play umbilleebably gud tuday, no?”
Taking the piss out of someone speaking a second language. real classy
@@Arrica101 Lol you must be snowflake of the day. Congrats!
etikkboksen not really a snowflake, just aware that could be seen as offensive. Rafa has to make an effort to learn your language and speak it for your television programs and you’re making fun of the way he speaks. Not being snowflake, just being compassionate.
HAHA! xD
@@peterwoodward3085 "just aware that could be seen as offensive"- Oh lord that's textbook snowflakery. Grow a pair ffs. I'm outta here.
Roger Federer's backhand exists
James Blake: What is life?
All these years I fried my chicken before every live match of Federer and set the dinner in front of the TV and had the greatest time of my life watching the most beautiful complete player on earth. A genius, an artist and a magician on the tennis court.
Without him it is becoming tough for me to watch tennis though Nadal and Djokovic are playing at their best. I like both of them but.....
that sounds like a great time
Friend chicken and tennis hell yeah
Same to me. Don’t watch tennis much anymore after Roger decided to stop his beatifull career. It is not the same anymore. I had very young dry eyes when he said good bye to the big tennis world, in a very emotional event at the Rod Laver Cup. ❤❤❤
Those 4 aces were amazing.
I'd say he was also in God mode against Djokovic at last year's ATP Finals RR. His serves had no response, and Djokovic had only one break point during the whole match!
That was insane tennis from the king
I would have preferred an ACE at 40/15 to Wimbledon 2019 :'(
The most absurd thing about Federer’s match against Blake in 2006 was the fact that Blake actually played incredibly well, but Federer literally played perfectly. Even Djokovic or Nadal on their best days wouldn’t have been able to compete with that performance from Federer.
Yeah Blake was hitting the ball with such power at times and federer would just calmly swat the ball down the line with a backhand winner like it was nothing best player I’ve ever watched.
He’s absolutely the best I have ever seen, ever.
Still just in awe at how easy he makes the game look, can hit the ball wherever he wants, however he wants
We sure will miss him once he retires. What a legendary sportsman. Respect.
Greatness cannot be strictly defined by the numbers. Those who try to encapsulate greatness in that vacuum are sure to never understand true greatness. Roger was and is the definitive GOAT. He changed the game and ushered in the common era with grace and deadly accuracy. His impact is unmatched. His rivalries throughout his career ensured a dominance that no other era has or likely will eclipse. He pushed his peers to greater heights who, in turn, pushed him to an even greater stand. He is and always will be the standard that all players are measured by. His appeal and draw may only be matched by Nadal. His career and impact will never be repeated by any player. That's greatness. Roger Federer--the Greatest of All Time.
The 2006 Masters Cup match is my favorite match of all time. The amount of sheer, raw talent displayed in that match is so awesome to watch.
"like a mongoose on amphetamines" - how does one come up with this comparison...
Sounds like something only an Australian would say
Shadoninja lmao Robbie Koenig is actually South African
Guess you havent seen many mongoose on amphetamines then
Robbie is South African. Probably had them as pets growing up. the amphetamine part is cuz he's a poet. 😆
South African 😁
I really miss the good old days of tennis
He will stay in my heart forever..Love you Fed.
And RF will stay forever in my heart too. His tennis is exceptional, unique, is BEAUTY and ART. Love you, Roger Federer. Thank you & God bless you!
Gave 4 different top 5 players (3 of them legends of the sport) a bagel in a Masters Cup/ATP Finals event. I think is fair enough to say there will never be another one like Roger.
if i were to choose 10 perfect backhands from Roger's whole career, I could easily pick all of them from his match against Blake. period :)
And 2017 AO final against Nadal!
I hadn't seen them before, absolute beauty but I started feeling bad for Blake at some point. That was impossible to counter I think.
If only they hadn't slowed all the hard courts down, Federer's game was developed during the Sampras era, reach and pace over defense.
He's clearly adapted (French open win) but if the courts were of his natural inclination he'd be even more winning.
Roger's timing in 2017, at least the first half of it, was unbelievable.
Shit was beautiful.
That ATP 2006 Final is just Federer at his very best. Look at how fast the court was and the balls seem to be smaller and quicker making what he did to Blake all the more amazing. It's such a shame this man has to get old. I will miss this.
I don't know if it's the best backhand down the line ever, but it has to be one of the most beautiful one handed backhands in tennis history.
Nadal's reaction on match point of that Indian Wells masterclass is priceless (7:11). He was thinking what we all were. Absolutely unplayable.
I am glad hes continuing to play for so long, so that we can watch his genius in HD
This is why he's the G.O.A.T. 🐐 The others can't play like this, even on their very best days.
Yup exactly. Lots of people think Novak is the true GOAT because of recency bias from 2011 onwards, but Federer in his prime is the best player to ever live.
the whole cincinnati 2015 tournament could be in this video :)
no service lost in the entire week,no set lost,beating djokovic and murray back to back,coming up with the SABR,that tournament is one of the best in federer career,i wish he would have faced nadal in the quarters,so that he could beat the big 4 in a row,that would have been even better.
That first match against Murray at ATP Finals was for the first time ever I saw Roger playing live. It was wonderful performance but on the other hand I was little bit disappointed that he destroyed Murray so quickly - under an hour :D
Think of it this way. You saw possibly the highest level tennis of all time. I'd say that's money well spent haha.
@@DjokovicIsOurLordAndSaviour No he didn't, Murray was playing terribly. Of their 25 meetings, Murray has won 11, he also has three grand slams.
RF can't put Murray away 6-0, 6-1 when Murray is actually on form.
@@phillycheesetake See you don't understand how good federer is, that's how good he actually is made murray look like the milkman.
@@harrywardle4594 how did Murray beat Federer 11 times?
Philly Cheese Take Murray is a kid next to Roger, every single big match they play Roger always wins, that's why he always lost to Roger in all GS finals they played. You must be grateful he gifted a set in that double bagel humilliation.
"He's just toying with him now." ACCURATE. Also never get tired of that Indian Wells match v Nadal. A beauty.
I’m a Novak fan since I was 10, but I have to acknowledge that Federer reached the highest level of them all.
When Roger is fit and confident he's the highest form of tennis.
Weak era this weak era that... The only reason the current era isnt called "weak" is because this man continued to play till 38 despite all the injuries
And courts have slowed down too.. I genuinely believe nadal is the clay god...but Federer is a timeless genius the goat
If Federer is weak, then Djokovic is weak too since he barely beat Federer in his mid 30s in 2014-2020 self.
@@dewman7477 Don't forget Nadal's clay era too, people often overlook this, but Nadal's clay court competition wasn't too impressive from 2005 onward.
@@samrattamuly8157 Australian Open changed its surface in 2008 from Rebound Ace to Plexicushion.
Federer had the best record on the Rebound Ace surface.
RIP Rebound Ace.
@Zavonna Partiamo what about before 2010?
That Federer in the years 2004-2008 was so overpowered… great times
Not in 2008. In 2008 Nadal crushed his soul and gave him the most stinging defeats along with AO 2009. Federer was a changed player after that. He still won more Slams but his champion mindset was broken. Courts also started getting very slow right around 2008 so that hurt his game a lot too.
@@apathak34 i think his prime ended at the end of 2012. After that age, surface, a younger djokovic started beating him. He still kicked ass in 2009 big time and aussie 2010 was one of his highest levels. I mean come on he made like 23 straight slam semis till french 2010, that streak had to lose sometime. I dont think there was a better player than the fed that was trying to beat sampras’s record.
@@apathak34 the only player that could give fed real trouble was nadal not djokovic, because of his playstyle with high spin to the backhand and his crazy defensive abilities in retrieving federers huge grounstrokes and serve. But on fast courts federer is in a league of his own, thats his natural surface just like nadal on clay or djokovic on slow hard
His feeling ... his passion... and that exactness while doing it.... ... he's a great #Artist ....
That federer against blake was inhuman... untouchable
when feds in the zone, hes like no other player. Even novak and nadal admit that when he was in that zone he was unplayable. Whats so special about watching him play is just how easy he makes it look. no ones ever made the game look so easy , its actually quite amazing to watch.
he is the most skilled player in the history, not strongest (physically and mentally) not the fastest but his skills....my god its something we will never see again
How freaking fast was the court from the Blake match. It looks almost sped up
th-cam.com/video/cNKApfPqNf4/w-d-xo.html
Damn he didn't even lose a point
ha
Oh men!! Roger Federer... Beautiful Style!!!
Forget about the stats and who has won the most tournaments. The reason why Federer is the GOAT is quite simple, he played the game on a completely different level to everyone else. His shot making was pure genius.
💯💯💯💯💯
Those backhands against Blake ....
How nice of Sir David Attenborough to comment on the Blake match
James Blake definitely still has nightmares about Fed’s backhand down the line
This is like watching Leonardo making a painting.. if not better
The federer-agassi match from the round robin stage was epic though! Final here complete clinic from Federer though
Gaston Gaudio was honestly playing out of his mind!! It's unbelievable how one-sided the scoreboard looks. I guess that truly qualifies as god mode on Roger's part! Haha
He was pure beast in his younger days
Bible TV: 10 times God went Federer mode
I don’t understand this video, Federer is God mode tennis anyway
Nadal can win 25, Djokovic can win 30 but there is only one G.O.A.T. Roger Federer
You dont really see his backhand slide in his early era. He was so confident in backhand winners.
Two matches that really should have been here:
Cincinnati R3 vs. Kevin Anderson in 2015 - 6-1, 6-1. Insane performance.
Basel SF vs. David Goffin in 2017 - 6-1, 6-2. Never even seen Federer play faster than that.
Maybe there is a part 2 ;D
they can't put the matches here there are other similar matches where Federer was in the zone and there are many.
Thank you! I miss tennis so much these days!! Watching this for 30 minutes makes it easier!
7:08 The ultimate "F*** it, Imma head out" moment from Rafa
As a big fan of Djokovic, I know that Federers prime is the highest lvl of tennis ever played by anyone.
His personality on & office the court made tennis what it is & created Nadal & Djokovic.
He is bigger than tennis
Geez. The slice approach at 10:15. virtually unhittable
4 or 5 of them happened in Shanghai, Roger is unstoppable there
This guy might have a bright future ahead
I agree, he played quite well in this video.