Todd Martin : Tennis will not be what it is today without Roger Federer

[tennisaddict]

FEDERER CELEBRATED FOR ATP PLAYER COUNCIL CONTRIBUTION

Former ATP Player Council Presidents Todd Martin and Rainer Schuettler both paid tribute to the work Federer has done.

"What Roger's done is remarkable because after generations of our very best tennis players not being involved in the sport from a governing standpoint, he took the bull by the horns and decided he was going to lead," said Martin, who was a long-serving President in the late '90s. "He's led well, which is the greatest thing. Without him showing the rest of the public that it's possible and that it's a responsibility that should be embraced by the best, I don't think our sport would be where it is today. I also think we would struggle to get others that are as elite as he is on the court, to participate off the court."

"[I'm proud of] leading by example, being there, putting in the time, showing the other players that you actually can find time for the council and for the tour,” said Federer. “We achieved prize money increases. I hope I was able to make more players understand that this is a 50/50 organisation with the tournaments. That's very important to understand. Also, how decisions are being made at the council level. It's not as easy as it seems, but at the same time, you can be very involved actively.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/06/25/Wimbledon-Federer-Player-Council-Celebration.aspx

Well done, Rogi !!

 

[TMF]

When Jordan left the NBA in 1998, basketball enthusiasm lost interest and TV rating went down. I fear it will be the same for tennis after Roger retire.

 

[JRAJ1988]

Roger Federer should push for a Top Spin 5 whilst he's still active.

(We need a next gen Tennis game)

 

[FedererWinsWimbledon2014]

What is Todd going to tell us next, the sky is blue?

 

[octogon]

When Jordan left the NBA in 1998, basketball enthusiasm lost interest and TV rating went down. I fear it will be the same for tennis after Roger retire.

Roger hasn't been much of a factor in grand slam finals for a couple of years now, and enthusiasm and TV ratings seem to be doing just fine. Last year's US Open final between Nadal and Djokovic was the highest rated US Open mens final since 2007....Federer had featured in a couple of finals after then with lower ratings.

People are used to the fact that Federer is no longer a major factor, and have embraced Nadal. When Nadal is in a final, the ratings spike. Even the Australian Open final this year on ESPN, was up 8% in ratings from 2013 when Djokovic and Murray contested the final.

Nadal has done a good job replacing Federer, for enthusiasm, interest and TV ratings. To be honest, the major storyline for mens tennis in the next year or two will be Nadal's chase for the slam record. Whether or not Roger is actually around to see it happen is irrelevant. The excitement wil be there regardless.

They do need someone to follow Nadal though, as he won't be around forever.

 

[Federator]

LOL, Nadal can never replace Federer. Joke of the century that is

 

[tennisaddict]

Roger hasn't been much of a factor in grand slam finals for a couple of years now, and enthusiasm and TV ratings seem to be doing just fine. Last year's US Open final between Nadal and Djokovic was the highest rated US Open mens final since 2007....Federer had featured in a couple of finals after then with lower ratings.

You conveniently forgot to mention that those were rain delayed finals played on Monday evening. Wonder why ? That is also the first week of Monday night football.

People are used to the fact that Federer is no longer a major factor, and have embraced Nadal. When Nadal is in a final, the ratings spike. Even the Australian Open final this year on ESPN, was up 8% in ratings from 2013 when Djokovic and Murray contested the final.

Stan, a surprise finalist with wins over Novak and a comfortable win over Berdych, could be a reason ?

Nadal has done a good job replacing Federer, for enthusiasm, interest and TV ratings. To be honest, the major storyline for mens tennis in the next year or two will be Nadal's chase for the slam record. Whether or not Roger is actually around to see it happen is irrelevant. The excitement wil be there regardless.

They do need someone to follow Nadal though, as he won't be around forever.

And whose record is Nadal chasing ?

 

[octogon]

LOL, Nadal can never replace Federer. Joke of the century that is

But he sort of has. I think Sports Illustrated (and Fortune magazine) has confirmed Nadal is the highest paid tennis player in the world based on 2013 earnings. Nadal is the 3rd highest paid athlete in the world (behind Floyd Mayweather and Cristiano Ronaldo), and Federer is 4th.

Nadal has more followers on facebook and twitter than Federer. In terms of success and general popularity, you have to say that Nadal has replaced him.

 

[tacou]

Roger Federer should push for a Top Spin 5 whilst he's still active.

(We need a next gen Tennis game)

Thank you.
Maybe he can get the players to forfeit individual rights so that games can feature more than 4 current players and 3 retired.

 

[tennisaddict]

But he sort of has. I think Sports Illustrated (and Fortune magazine) has confirmed Nadal is the highest paid tennis player in the world based on 2013 earnings. Nadal is the 3rd highest paid athlete in the world (behind Floyd Mayweather and Cristiano Ronaldo), and Federer is 4th.

Nadal has more followers on facebook and twitter than Federer. In terms of success and general popularity, you have to say that Nadal has replaced him.

Forbes' ranking of the highest-earning athletes, also published this month, had Federer with $56.2 million and Nadal with $44.5 million.


Federer was, however, higher in endorsements earnings, with $38 million compared to Nadal's $28 million.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/06/25/Forbes-Highest-Paid-Athletes-Federer-Nadal.aspx

 

[ScottleeSV]

I saw a rerun of the Murray/Djokovic Wimbledon final today. The cheering for Murray was insanely patriotic, and it reminded me that the previous year, when Murray played Federer, you could barely tell Murray was the home player. Just shows what universal support Federer has. He seems to be a 'home player' in practically every tournament.

He will be missed when he's gone. Regardless of title wins and statistics, I've never seen anyone play the game like he did in his prime.

 

[Graf=GOAT]

He's 100% correct. As much as the ridiculous media is hyping Nadal as GOAT these days, real tennis fans will always remember Roger Federer as the greatest talent of all time. Immense shotmaker, incredible variety and unbreakable records. The sport will never be the same again after he's forced to hang up the racket

 

[octogon]

You conveniently forgot to mention that those were rain delayed finals played on Monday evening. Wonder why ? That is also the first week of Monday night football.



Stan, a surprise finalist with wins over Novak and a comfortable win over Berdych, could be a reason ?



And whose record is Nadal chasing ?

I'm not putting down Federer's contribution the the sport. I'm just saying that Nadal has done a more than adequate job taking over the mantle as the leading player in the sport. If Federer retires, it will be disappointing, but right now the sport is in rude health with Nadal at the top of the game.

It's not a situation like Jordan retiring from the NBA and there's no one else of equal or similar stature to carry the slack. We are living in an era of two GOAT canidates, which is astonishing.

 

[ollinger]

The overall condition of the sport is not something the player council has much control over. Unfortunately, the player council tends to be top-heavy with high ranked players, so I wonder how much Federer or anyone else in his position has done to alter the distribution of prize money to allow low ranked players to make a living in the sport.

 

[sureshs]

Nadal is a better player

 

[JustBob]

Nadal's contribution to the ATP player council:

Whine about everything, try to push idiotic ideas like the 2 year ranking system, and then resign and go home.

Surely that deserves a statue.

 

[tennis_crazy]

Nadal is a better player

Better actor for sure....

 

[tennis_crazy]

Nadal's contribution to the ATP player council:

Whine about everything, try to push idiotic ideas like the 2 year ranking system, and then resign and go home.

Surely that deserves a statue.

When none of is stupidity went thru' quit w/o any worthy contribution...
Worst role model ever....

 

[Chico]

Ok. Todd Martin is clearly a fed fanatic, for the lack of better allowed word. It is obvious now why he messed up Novak's serve and set him back in 2009/2010. To increase Federer's legacy and be able to make statements like this now.

 

[The Green Mile]

FEDERER CELEBRATED FOR ATP PLAYER COUNCIL CONTRIBUTION

Former ATP Player Council Presidents Todd Martin and Rainer Schuettler both paid tribute to the work Federer has done.

"What Roger's done is remarkable because after generations of our very best tennis players not being involved in the sport from a governing standpoint, he took the bull by the horns and decided he was going to lead," said Martin, who was a long-serving President in the late '90s. "He's led well, which is the greatest thing. Without him showing the rest of the public that it's possible and that it's a responsibility that should be embraced by the best,I don't think our sport would be where it is today. I also think we would struggle to get others that are as elite as he is on the court, to participate off the court."

"[I'm proud of] leading by example, being there, putting in the time, showing the other players that you actually can find time for the council and for the tour,” said Federer. “We achieved prize money increases. I hope I was able to make more players understand that this is a 50/50 organisation with the tournaments. That's very important to understand. Also, how decisions are being made at the council level. It's not as easy as it seems, but at the same time, you can be very involved actively.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/06/25/Wimbledon-Federer-Player-Council-Celebration.aspx

Well done, Rogi !!

:lol: Lol, funny stuff....

 

[monfed]

Tennis is all about King Roger Federer.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

http://huffingtonpost.com.sundaytim...erer-announces-retirement-from-tennis/r/45496

 

[bullfan]

Forbes' ranking of the highest-earning athletes, also published this month, had Federer with $56.2 million and Nadal with $44.5 million.


Federer was, however, higher in endorsements earnings, with $38 million compared to Nadal's $28 million.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/06/25/Forbes-Highest-Paid-Athletes-Federer-Nadal.aspx

Forbes numbers don't add up. How did Fed make 56 M when 38M was endorsements. Money comes from endorsements plus prize money. Fed didn't make 16M in prize money. Bad math.

Besides after USO 2013, the guy in charge of CBS confirmed that Rafa brings in the fans like a Roger.

 

[Sentinel]

Nadal is a better player

Roger that.

Nadal has been pushing for longer times between serves (one minute), longer set breaks, higher nets, more medical timeouts, larger towels, longer clay season, reduction and ultimate removal of non-clay season, ban of WTF unless shifted to clay, ban of grass/low bouncing surfaces, ban of cold weather and anything that hampers topspin, ban of high-altitude courts, ban of blue color ...

What has Federer done to compare with this long list of things Nadal has fought for?

 

[TMF]

But he sort of has. I think Sports Illustrated (and Fortune magazine) has confirmed Nadal is the highest paid tennis player in the world based on 2013 earnings. Nadal is the 3rd highest paid athlete in the world (behind Floyd Mayweather and Cristiano Ronaldo), and Federer is 4th.

Nadal has more followers on facebook and twitter than Federer. In terms of success and general popularity, you have to say that Nadal has replaced him.

That is not true. Federer is ranked #7 and Nadal is #9 in world's highest paid athletes.


Federer - 56.2 M
Nadal - 44.5 M
Nole - 33.1 M

Sharapova - 24.4 M
Li Na - 23.6 M
Serena - 22 M

http://www.forbes.com/athletes/

 

[TMF]

Listen guys, Nadal is no Federer. That's like saying Kobe is Jordan when he's not.

Both Jordan and Federer has the most impact in their respective sport and no one can ever replace them.

 

[bubuly]

I would say "Tennis will not be what it is today without Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal". The rivalry between them two is just amazing !! Fed vs Nadal is like Kobe vs Lebron, Goku vs Vegeta !!

 

[SoBad]

In agreement -- with the Kohlerer/Federer/Melzer types off the tour for good, tennis can once again be a highly regarded and respected gentlemen's sport.

 

[octogon]

Listen guys, Nadal is no Federer. That's like saying Kobe is Jordan when he's not.

Both Jordan and Federer has the most impact in their respective sport and no one can ever replace them.

That's as false an analogy as you can get. Jordan didn't have anyone during his reign challenging his surpremacy or claim to GOATHOOD.

Nadal may actually be Jordan in this scenario. Federer is more like Magic Johnson. People were amazed by Johnson before Jordan came along, claimed he was GOAT etc etc. That we'll never see another like Magic...then Jordan came along and started dismantling Johnson, like Nadal has done to Fed.

And Nadal has had the most impact on the game in practical terms. The physicality, the level of fitness players know they need to reach the very pinnacle...it's all down to Nadal taking the sport forward.

Nadal is the Jordan of tennis. But Fed was a valuable precursor who will leave his own legacy, just like Magic.

 

[Tennis sensation]

We all knew that.

 

[NADALRECORD]

Tennis would be a sissy sport if Nadal didn't come along to save it and negate the cardigan-wearing trend.

 

[octobrina10]

That is not true. Federer is ranked #7 and Nadal is #9 in world's highest paid athletes.

Federer - 56.2 M
Nadal - 44.5 M
Nole - 33.1 M

Sharapova - 24.4 M
Li Na - 23.6 M
Serena - 22 M

h ttp://www.forbes.com/athletes/

According to Forbes, Federer was the highest sponsored tennis player between June 1, 2013 and June 1, 2014.
Rafa earned more money by playing tennis than Federer did.

 

[tennis_pro]

According to Forbes, Federer was the highest sponsored tennis player between June 1, 2013 and June 1, 2014.
Rafa earned more money by playing tennis than Federer did.

The funny thing is that Federer gets more $$$ from endorsements than Nadal and Djokovic put together.

 

[octobrina10]

The funny thing is that Federer gets more $$$ from endorsements than Nadal and Djokovic put together.

Swiss bank(s), Swiss watch makers, Swiss chocolate makers...are paying him.
(I think, Swiss banks can afford to pay more money than, for example, banks in Spain.)

Besides, Fed is under a lifetime contract with some companies (for example Wilson) and he is getting paid and paid...

Reportedly, Fed asks a lot of money. Even from his home town.
¤¤ Basel tournament director: Federer refused our offer
APRIL 29, 2013
/---/ Brennwald told the Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger. “We have launched campaigns in the millions for him [Federer] and allowed him to promote his sponsors, which is not very common. We are grateful for the time we were allowed to have with him. The thing is very simple: We have made an offer to him, which he refused. We have submitted a second offer, which he has not responded to. We do not normally pay a seven-figure [appearance fee].”
Brennwald also complained that he is unable to speak with Federer directly and always has to go through his agent Tony Godsick.” ¤¤
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013...federer-refused-our-offer/47250/#.UscbZdIW0zT

 

[Sentinel]

^^ Aah, the sound of haters crawling out of the dried woodwork ... priceless.

 

[TheFifthSet]

That's as false an analogy as you can get. Jordan didn't have anyone during his reign challenging his surpremacy or claim to GOATHOOD.

Nadal may actually be Jordan in this scenario. Federer is more like Magic Johnson. People were amazed by Johnson before Jordan came along, claimed he was GOAT etc etc. That we'll never see another like Magic...then Jordan came along and started dismantling Johnson, like Nadal has done to Fed.

And Nadal has had the most impact on the game in practical terms. The physicality, the level of fitness players know they need to reach the very pinnacle...it's all down to Nadal taking the sport forward.

Nadal is the Jordan of tennis. But Fed was a valuable precursor who will leave his own legacy, just like Magic.

Jordan is the GOAT, but he never dismantled Magic. He beat him in the '91 finals with Magic nearing the end of his prime and MJ practically at his apex. Even then, E.J lit up M.J in game 1 and Phil Jackson switched things up and assigned Pippen to guard Johnson due to his length. By that point the Lakers weren't the force they were in the 80's and the Bulls had all of their rotation players in their prime. Their regular season head-to-head was 7-6 for Jordan's Bulls.

Moreover, I don't think we can definitively rule out Magic as a GOAT candidate. Wages of Wins author Dave Berra came up with the most refined basketball metric known, Wins Produced, which has an air-tight correlation with actual wins on the court by a team, much like WAR in baseball. The system rates Johnson as the greatest player of all time. Do I buy it? No, doesn't pass the smell test to me, but it's not totally bunk. Magic was the greatest playmaker of all time, a match-up nightmare at the point, a better rebounder than Air Jordan, won 1 less title but reached 9 finals to MJ's 6. He also beat 2 Boston Celtics teams that were stronger than any team Jordan ever faced in the finals. Jordan was a superior pure scorer (obviously), a better shooter, a better defender and was renowned for his pathological competitiveness. Magic has the edge in versatility, and he put up a 42-15-7 filling in for Kareem at center to seal a title in his rookie year. Remember, too, that Johnson's career was cut short due to his HIV diagnosis. He had 5 titles when he retired at the age of 31. MJ had 3 by that age. If you had to pick a guy to build a team around, you couldn't go wrong with either. I'll take Michael but I wouldn't lose sleep if I was saddled with E.J.


Anyways though, it's clear that Jordan and Fed are the 2 most influential athletes in their respective sports. Fed's won the fan favourite award 11 years in a row, and he'll win it again this year. Nobody draws more fan support than him. How often does a crowd root for his opponent? And who has the bigger brand? I just don't see how Nadal could be the Jordan of tennis. Jordan was the best, the most accomplished AND the most popular/beloved. Federer is more popular than Nadal, is (at the moment) ranked higher all-time, has accomplished more (don't get cranky Nadal fans, that could definitely change soon ), and the BEST, as his peak was far more Jordan-esque than Nadals. Nadal could eventually surpass Federer in accomplishments, but Federer in his prime dominated tennis to a greater extent than Nadal at his. That's just facts, competition aside. In order for Nadal to be the Jordan of tennis, he has to TRANSCEND tennis, not just be the greatest. Because that's what MJ did. He's been retired for 16 years yet his shoes sell 7x more than Kobe and LeBron's shoes. Also, check this out:

http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/01/06/Research-and-Ratings/Up-Next.aspx

21.7%

Bonus number… in June 1998, that was the percent of Americans saying Michael Jordan was their favorite athlete. No athlete has come within half that number since. The most popular athlete for 2013 got only 4.2 percent of respondents by comparison. The 2013 winner? Michael Jordan


NOBODY has reached Jordan's status yet, but Federer has come closer than Nadal. Neither transcend tennis like Jordan transcended basketball though. Almost everybody was a Bulls fan in the 90's. Some figures have it as high as 50-60% worldwide.
If anything, if Nadal keeps racking up titles and majors, he'll be Schumacher to Federer's Senna. More accomplished but not as beloved within the tennis landscape.



One more thing, the statement that "we will never see another Magic" still applies. MJ might have been greater, but Johnson was unquestionably more "unique" and inimitable as a player. He was a 6'9 point guard with other-worldly court vision and surprisingly little athleticism. There have been "Jordan prototypes", guys with eerily similar games, Kobe in particular. Same turnaround J, similar mannerisms, similar pull-up, step-back, body contortion at the rim, follow-through on their jump shots, etc. Kobe copied Jordan to a T, which is common knowledge. He isn't nearly the player that MJ was, but he was able to pull off a half-decent impression. Nobody has ever pulled off a comparable E.J impression. So, that still rings true, IMO.

 

[tennis_crazy]

Swiss bank(s), Swiss watch makers, Swiss chocolate makers...are paying him.
(I think, Swiss banks can afford to pay more money than, for example, banks in Spain.)

Besides, Fed is under a lifetime contract with some companies (for example Wilson) and he is getting paid and paid...

Reportedly, Fed asks a lot of money. Even from his home town.
¤¤ Basel tournament director: Federer refused our offer
APRIL 29, 2013
/---/ Brennwald told the Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger. “We have launched campaigns in the millions for him [Federer] and allowed him to promote his sponsors, which is not very common. We are grateful for the time we were allowed to have with him. The thing is very simple: We have made an offer to him, which he refused. We have submitted a second offer, which he has not responded to. We do not normally pay a seven-figure [appearance fee].”
Brennwald also complained that he is unable to speak with Federer directly and always has to go through his agent Tony Godsick.” ¤¤
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013...federer-refused-our-offer/47250/#.UscbZdIW0zT

Instead of getting jealous, have you ever thought about why Nadal inspite of being the best player doesn't get any of these.....

 

[tennis_crazy]

Even Nadal tax savings in moving to Halle from Queens doesn't help him...

 

[Russeljones]

Roger hasn't been much of a factor in grand slam finals for a couple of years now, and enthusiasm and TV ratings seem to be doing just fine. Last year's US Open final between Nadal and Djokovic was the highest rated US Open mens final since 2007....Federer had featured in a couple of finals after then with lower ratings.

People are used to the fact that Federer is no longer a major factor, and have embraced Nadal. When Nadal is in a final, the ratings spike. Even the Australian Open final this year on ESPN, was up 8% in ratings from 2013 when Djokovic and Murray contested the final.

Nadal has done a good job replacing Federer, for enthusiasm, interest and TV ratings. To be honest, the major storyline for mens tennis in the next year or two will be Nadal's chase for the slam record. Whether or not Roger is actually around to see it happen is irrelevant. The excitement wil be there regardless.

They do need someone to follow Nadal though, as he won't be around forever.

The hate is strong with this one.

 

[Phoenix1983]

If anything, if Nadal keeps racking up titles and majors, he'll be Schumacher to Federer's Senna. More accomplished but not as beloved within the tennis landscape.

This is the best analogy in this thread so far.

The majority of F1 fans still place Senna above Schumacher, despite the latter's greater numerical achievements. It's all about perception of how talented they truly were (not saying Schumacher wasn't extremely talented, but more that Senna was divinely so).

PS. never understood the obsession with Michael Jordan.

 

[TheFifthSet]

This is the best analogy in this thread so far.

The majority of F1 fans still place Senna above Schumacher, despite the latter's greater numerical achievements. It's all about perception of how talented they truly were (not saying Schumacher wasn't extremely talented, but more that Senna was divinely so).

PS. never understood the obsession with Michael Jordan.

Thanks, and I totally agree.


As for the last line, well, it was a convergence of things. MJ might've been the most marketable athlete of all-time. That in conjunction with his dominance of his sport were the main factors for him having such a lasting impact. He also embodied all the "heroic" qualities folks look for in their sporting idols. From playing with the flu in Utah, to galvanizing his teammates and forcing them to improve (Bulls practices were essentially survival of the fittest), to his aesthetically appealing game, to his marvelous comeback, coolness in the clutch......he somehow combined the understated features of a Hemingway hero with the charismatic features of a pop star. Truly larger than life.

Of course, he had his warts covered up by the media. That helped too. Everybody stood to make a buck off him. Other than the gambling scandal and the much maligned "Jordan rules" book, he got very little negative press and received preferential treatment from the league. It was considered sacrilege to write something negative about him. He was the beneficiary of so many phantom calls by the refs that it was silly. The league went into a tailspin quickly after both of his first two retirements. Some people describe athletes as being "bigger than the game", and it's almost always lip service. But Jordan really WAS bigger than basketball.

 

[octobrina10]

Instead of getting jealous, have you ever thought about why Nadal inspite of being the best player doesn't get any of these.....

1. Jealous?! I am not jealous, because I am not a taxpayer of Fed's home town!

2. Rafa is not greedy.

 

[octobrina10]

Even Nadal tax savings in moving to Halle from Queens doesn't help him...

Forbes: ¤¤ Endorsement incomes are an estimate of sponsorship deals, appearance fees and licensing fees for the 12 months ... We do not deduct for taxes or agents’ fees... ¤¤

 

[octobrina10]

Tennis is all about King Roger Federer.

For Fed fans! So what?!

Rafa is the most popular tennis player on both Facebook and Twitter

 

[tennis_crazy]

Rafa is not greedy.

Maybe not worthy...

 

[octogon]

Anyways though, it's clear that Jordan and Fed are the 2 most influential athletes in their respective sports. Fed's won the fan favourite award 11 years in a row, and he'll win it again this year. Nobody draws more fan support than him. How often does a crowd root for his opponent? And who has the bigger brand? I just don't see how Nadal could be the Jordan of tennis. Jordan was the best, the most accomplished AND the most popular/beloved. Federer is more popular than Nadal, is (at the moment) ranked higher all-time, has accomplished more (don't get cranky Nadal fans, that could definitely change soon ), and the BEST, as his peak was far more Jordan-esque than Nadals. Nadal could eventually surpass Federer in accomplishments, but Federer in his prime dominated tennis to a greater extent than Nadal at his. That's just facts, competition aside. In order for Nadal to be the Jordan of tennis, he has to TRANSCEND tennis, not just be the greatest. Because that's what MJ did. He's been retired for 16 years yet his shoes sell 7x more than Kobe and LeBron's shoes. Also, check this out:

http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/01/06/Research-and-Ratings/Up-Next.aspx

21.7%

Bonus number… in June 1998, that was the percent of Americans saying Michael Jordan was their favorite athlete. No athlete has come within half that number since. The most popular athlete for 2013 got only 4.2 percent of respondents by comparison. The 2013 winner? Michael Jordan


NOBODY has reached Jordan's status yet, but Federer has come closer than Nadal. Neither transcend tennis like Jordan transcended basketball though. Almost everybody was a Bulls fan in the 90's. Some figures have it as high as 50-60% worldwide.
If anything, if Nadal keeps racking up titles and majors, he'll be Schumacher to Federer's Senna. More accomplished but not as beloved within the tennis landscape.



One more thing, the statement that "we will never see another Magic" still applies. MJ might have been greater, but Johnson was unquestionably more "unique" and inimitable as a player. He was a 6'9 point guard with other-worldly court vision and surprisingly little athleticism. There have been "Jordan prototypes", guys with eerily similar games, Kobe in particular. Same turnaround J, similar mannerisms, similar pull-up, step-back, body contortion at the rim, follow-through on their jump shots, etc. Kobe copied Jordan to a T, which is common knowledge. He isn't nearly the player that MJ was, but he was able to pull off a half-decent impression. Nobody has ever pulled off a comparable E.J impression. So, that still rings true, IMO.

That's an interesting post, with some interesting points you make.

Do you actually take the ATP fan favorite award seriously as an indicator of overall popularity? Don't get me wrong, Fed is incredibly popular and would win an award like that several times even if it wasn't capable of being rigged. But it is. So it has to be taken with a serious grain of salt.

You can spam vote, or vote multiple times. Awards like that are virtually meaningless. It's a test of who has the most rabid fanbase to keep phoning, using different IP's to register votes, e-mailing, texting, dialing and re-dailing again and again. There are literally organised campaigns by the Federer fanbase to get him the award. It's exactly how nonsense like TWILIGHT dominated the MTV movie awards again and again for much of the last decade. No one believes it's the most popular movie franchise out there. But it has the most insanely rabid fanbase, who take advantadge of mutiple voting to make certain it wins every year it's eligible. I'm not neccesarily comparing Federer fans to TWILIGHT fans....but you see the point I'm making. Stuffing the ballot box is a meaningless ego stroking excercise by his fanbase.

In more reliable metrics of popularity, Facebook followers and Twitter followers, Nadal is ahead of Fed. If Fed were truly that much more popular/beloved than Nadal, shouldn't his Facebook and Twitter following be significantly ahead, not lagging behind Nadal. Or perhaps, it's just not as easy to rig as the ATP award. Nadal may have lagged in popularity behind Fed for a few years, but it's obvious that he's caught up, and currently may have even surpassed Fed.

Fan support can't be accurately measured (certainly not by those bogus ATP awards), but Nadal, who started out as the "villain" to Federer's "hero", has been embraced by crowds and audiences around the world. Nadal's comeback in 2013 re-energised the sport that had been considered lacking without him. People turn up for him in equal measure as they would for Fed. Muhammed Ali started out as a "villain" as well, yet time has made him one of the most beloved and iconic athletes of all-time.

Even Tiger Woods, who used to hang around Federer when everyone was proclaiming him GOAT, is now sending suck-up tweets to Nadal. both Nadal and Federer have transcended the sport, but in the eyes of the world, Nadal will likely be considered greater, ie the Jordan of tennis.

As for the Schumacher/ Senna comparison....doesn't really work. You certainly can't use a ballot-box stuffed fan favorite award as evidence of anything. The fact that even with 3 slams behind and less overall acccomplishments, greats of the game like Agassi and McEnroe are already saying Nadal is a better player than Federer is alarming (if you are a Federer fan). While Federer's hardcore fanbase may stick behind him whatever the outcome, the opinions of the media, pros and ex-pros that Nadal is greater than Fed, will hold considerable sway and influence over pretty much everybody else. I've heard many people claim McEnroe to be the most talented player ever...but has anyone seriously ever put his great rival Bjorn Borg behind him, ala Schumacher and Senna. of course not, because it doesn't work that way in tennis.

Borg is treated with more reverence than McEnroe as a champion and is typically ranked over him, despite the fact that some like to claim Mac is more talented. The same will happen with Nadal and Fed, imho.

 

[NADALRECORD]

Federer has nothing in common with Jordan. Jordan owned all his rivals, was crazy clutch and had knee tendinitis for most of his career. Remind you of anyone?

 

[TheFifthSet]

That's an interesting post, with some interesting points you make.

Do you actually take the ATP fan favorite award seriously as an indicator of overall popularity? Don't get me wrong, Fed is incredibly popular and would win an award like that several times even if it wasn't capable of being rigged. But it is. So it has to be taken with a serious grain of salt.

You can spam vote, or vote multiple times. Awards like that are virtually meaningless. It's a test of who has the most rabid fanbase to keep phoning, using different IP's to register votes, e-mailing, texting, dialing and re-dailing again and again. There are literally organised campaigns by the Federer fanbase to get him the award. It's exactly how nonsense like TWILIGHT dominated the MTV movie awards again and again for much of the last decade. No one believes it's the most popular movie franchise out there. But it has the most insanely rabid fanbase, who take advantadge of mutiple voting to make certain it wins every year it's eligible. I'm not neccesarily comparing Federer fans to TWILIGHT fans....but you see the point I'm making. Stuffing the ballot box is a meaningless ego stroking excercise by his fanbase.

In more reliable metrics of popularity, Facebook followers and Twitter followers, Nadal is ahead of Fed. If Fed were truly that much more popular/beloved than Nadal, shouldn't his Facebook and Twitter following be significantly ahead, not lagging behind Nadal. Or perhaps, it's just not as easy to rig as the ATP award. Nadal may have lagged in popularity behind Fed for a few years, but it's obvious that he's caught up, and currently may have even surpassed Fed.

Fan support can't be accurately measured (certainly not by those bogus ATP awards), but Nadal, who started out as the "villain" to Federer's "hero", has been embraced by crowds and audiences around the world. Nadal's comeback in 2013 re-energised the sport that had been considered lacking without him. People turn up for him in equal measure as they would for Fed. Muhammed Ali started out as a "villain" as well, yet time has made him one of the most beloved and iconic athletes of all-time.

Even Tiger Woods, who used to hang around Federer when everyone was proclaiming him GOAT, is now sending suck-up tweets to Nadal. both Nadal and Federer have transcended the sport, but in the eyes of the world, Nadal will likely be considered greater, ie the Jordan of tennis.

As for the Schumacher/ Senna comparison....doesn't really work. You certainly can't use a ballot-box stuffed fan favorite award as evidence of anything. The fact that even with 3 slams behind and less overall acccomplishments, greats of the game like Agassi and McEnroe are already saying Nadal is a better player than Federer is alarming (if you are a Federer fan). While Federer's hardcore fanbase may stick behind him whatever the outcome, the opinions of the media, pros and ex-pros that Nadal is greater than Fed, will hold considerable sway and influence over pretty much everybody else. I've heard many people claim McEnroe to be the most talented player ever...but has anyone seriously ever put his great rival Bjorn Borg behind him, ala Schumacher and Senna. of course not, because it doesn't work that way in tennis.

Nice points on your part as well. All in all, I still very much disagree though. Just an eye test thing for me. I don't think Federers fan base is that much more "rabid". He's a more popular player. In terms of fan support its inarguable. Other than the racquet smashing incident, when has Federer ever been booed by a crowd? How raucous do crowds get in Federer matches compared to Nadal matches? Hell the guy is more popular in the U.K. than Murray. Every single poll I've seen points to Federer being the decisively more popular player. That's also partially why he rakes in more endorsement dollars, much like Agassi did over Sampras despite Sampras being the better player. I definitely wasn't using one "meaningless award" to base my opinion off that, lol.

Also, they're neck-and-neck in terms of FB followers. For the longest time Fed was ahead, but the past year they've pretty much flip-flopped. Right now theres like 10,000 followers separating them. 3 months ago Fed was ahead. If I recall correctly, last year Nadal was ahead for a brief period. It's a sea-saw thing. Twitter is a bit unfair since Federer only joined last year whereas Nadal has been on it for many years. I wouldn't say most ex-pros and pundits consider Nadal to be the greater player yet, in fact I'd say that most still consider Federer to be greater, with Nadal knocking on the doorstep. Obviously with Nadal winning titles left and right and Fed declining, it's popular to trot out that narrative, but nothing is set in stone yet. Hell, 4 years ago most people thought the concept of Nadal surpassing Federer to be inconceivable. Let their careers play out first. Too many fans and students of tennis like to count their chickens before they hatch. I wasn't using the 3 slam gap to promote any agenda, I only used it to highlight why its foolish to jump the gun and anoint Nadal as the GOAT. But I even conceded that Nadal COULD and likely will duplicate those achievements.

Anyways, nice post, you make a lot of salient points, but I gotta say, the Jordan-Nadal comparison is just out there. arguably NO athlete has EVER had the world at their feet like Jordan did in his heyday. Federer and Nadal, great as they may be, can't hold a candle as far as worldwide influence is concerned. It goes far beyond athletic excellence. Neither transcend their sport like Jordan did his, and neither has the stranglehold on the GOAT debate that MJ has right now.

Nadal being the greatest at tennis doesn't make him akin to Jordan. It might make him akin to GOATS of some other sports, but not Jordan. It's just a whole other wavelength. I don't think people realize that Jordan ACTUALLY did transcend his sport, really and truly. It's not just a platitude like it is with Fed and Nadal. Not only was the NBA at an all-time high in popularity during the years Jordan played, he was far and away the biggest factor for its popularity. Fed and Nadal were both responsible for a modest resurgence in tennis, and are far and away the most popular tennis players of today, but lets be real here; tennis isn't as popular now as it was in the 80s and 90s. Really, how is this comparison even remotely valid?


Sorry for the obscene amount of edits, I just keep adding on, my bad....


(basically, I kind of agree with TMF's point, in a roundabout way. Neither are Jordan, but Federer is closer right now)

 

[octobrina10]

Maybe not worthy...

That's what Rafa is doing for his home islands.
IB3, Dec. 2010
¤¤ Rafa's image continues to be used to promote tourism in the Balearics.
Rafa's team and the Balearic Government have reached an agreement that the Balearic tourism office may continue to use Rafa's image to promote the Balearic Islands in the world until December 2011, "while the compensation will go to those who need it most in the Balearics."
Due to economic problems, the Government couldn't pay Rafa for using his image and was going to stop to use it. Rafa was ready to give his image to promote the Islands for free. According to the new agreement, the Government may use the grafics already made and the money supposed to be paid to Rafa according to the old agreement will be allocated to social sectors.
Rafael is a Balearican and he is very proud of it; he has always been actively involved in promoting the islands in the world and he will continue to do it, said Carlos Costa, Rafa's Agent. ¤¤

 

[zacinnc78]

Roger Federer should push for a Top Spin 5 whilst he's still active.

(We need a next gen Tennis game)

exactly!i still havent heard any news of ANY next gen tennis games