Heading to the Sacred Lawns

In the debate over the identity of the world's top individual athlete, Tiger Woods renewed the argument for himself over tennis star Roger Federer with a spectacular, gritty performance at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines over the weekend.

Playing on a bad wheel, Woods delivered drama and a terrific storyline, outlasting journeyman Rocco Mediate to win his 14th major in style.

Now, with Wimbledon just around the corner, it's Federer's turn to respond, and it sure isn't going to be easy.

To be sure, he's heading back to his favourite surface, grass, upon which he's won 59 straight matches and five straight Wimbledon singles titles. He's been ranked No. 1 in the world since Feb. 2, 2004.

But he's got the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, breathing down his neck, something Woods really doesn't have as he continues to dominate his sport without anything approximating a real rival.

Nadal blew Federer off the court in the final of the French Open, and on Sunday did something no other Spaniard had done in 36 years, win a grass court tournament. Nadal forced Federer to the limit in last year's Wimbledon final, and based on the performances of the two men so far this season, Federer can't be viewed as the overwhelming favourite to win again despite his fabulous record of success on grass, particularly if he runs into Nadal again.

If Federer were not able to defend his title at the All-England Club, then surely the sense that his star is starting to fade would gain momentum at the same time Woods clearly is unchallenged as the world's top golfer. He proved at Torrey Pines that even if injuries come, as they inevitably do, he may have the resources to overcome them and win many more majors.

Federer, meanwhile, didn't win Australia this year and didn't win the French. He's at 12 Grand Slam singles titles, two short of Pete Sampras' all-time record. If Nadal, or somebody else, knocks him off at Wimbledon, what at one time seemed a lock, that he would eclipse Sampras' record, might suddenly seem in doubt.

And there won't be much debate about the identity of the world's top individual athlete any more.

Comments

[Matt]

Hey Damien judging by the lack of comments on today's piece, I guess you and I are the only two interested in either the world's greatest on-going sports feud (Federer vs Nadal) OR that crazy finish by Tiger.
I was really pulling for Mediate, sometimes praying for Tiger's knee to give out, but to no avail. Oh well, someone is bound to come along to challenge Tiger and make golf semi-interesting to watch again.

Now, as much as I hate the Leafs, why don't you make us all happy and go back to talking about hockey? lol

[DM]

As a tennis player yourself, you should know that you can't compare the two sports. Tennis is a much more physical game and in order to win a grand slam one has to win 7 best 0f 5 setters in a row. To win 12 or 14 of them is just mind-boggling indeed. Roger is the best that I've seen (and I saw Borg, McEnroe & Sampras at their primes) but at nearly 27, his window for breaking Pete's record is closing fast. At his age, Borg had already retired and McEnroe was done winning slams. I sure hope Federer breaks Sampras' record because he's a better player. Tiger can play 'til he's forty and I'm sure he'll win another 10 more majors. BTW, Bill Simmons has an interesting take on tennis today.

[David]

Does this debate really matter Damien? To paraphrase Tiger himself "Does anybody watch tennis anyomre?"

[Marijan Kalman]

Last time I checked Federer was the best ATHLETE IN THE WORLD in the last 4 years http://www.laureus.com/winners almost dominant as Michael Schumacher.
Federer is 26, Woods is 32 years old.Please check kow many Slams Woods had when he was 26.

[Frank Gannon]

Seriously, is this even a debate? Why don't we mention Johnny Chan or Minnesota Fats in the greatest athlete debate? GOLF IS NOT A SPORT!!!

[Uncle Zeke]

Wouldn't you have to first be playing a sport in order to be considered the "world's top athlete". Anything where you can remain competitive at the highest level well into your 50's cannot be considered a true "sport". No doubt it's "sporting" but so is billiards, bowling, darts, etc. This is the domain that golf occupies. Tigers struggle with the "bad knee" was so overblown it was humourous. Players compete in the other major sports with such injuries routinely- and compete against other opposition.

Can any "sport" where John Daly was a top player really be considered a "sport"

[John Lofranco]

The best individual athlete in the world is likely Dmitriy Karpov.

Golf is not a sport. Tennis is closer, but nothing compared to the all around test of a decathlon. I'm not saying it is easy to do either, but both are more about skill than about fitness. Sport is about a combination of fitness and skill. You have to be very fit to be the best in the world at anything, certainly, but the fact remains, golf involves hitting a ball hard and accurate, but that's it. The heart rate does not go up. A fat man could do it and many do, some very well. Tiger is better because he's fit, but it's not a requirement to be a professional golfer. Golf is a game, not a sport. The fact that Tiger could win with his injury (still an impressive feat, in terms of pain tolerence) shows that this is not so much an affair of fitness, but of skill alone.

Tennis, ok, you sweat, for sure, but it is a pretty specific skill. In terms of individual athleticism, I would put any runner or swimmer ahead of a tennis player in terms of calling them the best athlete in the world.

Who said Schumacher? Again, not a sport. It's hard to control that car, for sure, but it's a specific skill that doesn't necessarily require world-class fitness.

I think the only reason golf gets covered so much in the sports pages is because rich people play it. I'm not saying it is not interesting or difficult, just that it is a game, not a sport. Last time I checked, the chess results were in the "lifestyle" section. That's where golf should be, too.

[Bjorn]

You're comparing apples to oranges with the Woods vs Federer debate due to the vast differences between the two sports. However, no question Woods has no equal in golf. He's at a 10-level, while the next tier of players are maybe 7s at best.