Is Roger Federer The Greatest Tennis Player Ever?

Roger Federer's performance on Sunday has seen many tennis aficionados and scholars label him the greatest player of all time. His 17 Grand Slam titles and career prize money total of over $70 million is evidence enough that he is pretty good at the sport.

We are currently in the halcyon days of the sport with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all at the pinnacle of their game, and Federer has shown that despite being at the grand old age of 30, he can still compete against these young bucks.

But where does the Swiss genius now rank amongst the all time greats?

Roger Federer - Probably the greatest all-round tennis player ever, Federer's backhand is a piece of art in itself and his grand total of Grand Slam championships proves that when he is at his best he can still beat anybody. Of course his immense rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have elevated each individual's reputation and produced some of the greatest matches ever. It'll be interesting to see how far he can go over the next few years but he has so far broken ever record before him.

Rafael Nadal - Undoubtedly the best clay court player ever, Nadal has won the French Open 7 times out of the last 8 tournaments and despite being at the tender age of 26, has already won 11 Grand Slams. Yes, his form has dropped over the last 18 months but if he can rekindle his performances he could still easily usurp Federer's record.

Bjorn Borg - The master of both grass and clay surfaces, Borg won 11 titles on these surfaces before retiring at the age of 26. Of course his records at the Australian Open and US Open, where he finished runner-up four times, weren't as impressive but his style and grace on the court has left a lasting impression on tennis fans.

Pete Sampras - The American master held almost every record in the sport until a certain Mr. F came around. Yes, maybe he didn't have too many competitive rivals in his era and he never won on the French Open's clay surface but his power, athleticism and serve changed the game forever

The Best? It's got to be Roger. He's leapt over every obstacle in his way and still has many years to go.