The tale of two Wimbledon greats: Sampras vs Federer
Is greatness genetic or deliberate? Is it a function of talent or practice or both? What is the yardstick for measuring greatness? Is it beyond any form of quantification? Greatness defies precise definition.
Greatness spans over a broad spectrum of domains. Athletic greatness involves a set of skills, traits and abilities that are usually possessed by geniuses. In the context of tennis, male players, Wimbledon and greatness two geniuses reign supreme.
Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.
While William Renshaw might turn in his grave, he has accomplished one feat at Wimbledon which these two great men would never be able to.
Wimbledon, also called ‘The Championships,’ is the most prestigious Grand Slam. The grass tournament has defined and redefined the greatness of several tennis players with every possible achievement on the hallowed turf.
Roger Federer and Peter Sampras are familiar with every inch of the Centre Court at Wimbledon. They played with such imperiousness that it appeared as if every shaft of grass and every tramline colluded with them and conspired against their opponents. While it would be unfair to call one greater than the other at this point in time, we could possibly assess who is better based on some objective criteria and numbers that corroborate them.
Wimbledon Record as a Junior
Roger Federer takes an early lead over Pete Sampras in the tally with this achievement.
Federer won Wimbledon in the Boys Singles category in 1998. In the Final of the Junior Championships, he defeated Irakli Labadze of Georgia in straight sets. He also won in the Doubles category. Federer partnered Belgium’s Olivier Rochus to defeat Michael Llodra of France and doubles partner Andy Ram of Israel in straight sets.
Roger Federer had started to gun for Wimbledon glory at the tender age of 16 – and begun his success right away.
Federer – 1; Sampras – 0
Total number of Wimbledon titles
Both Federer and Sampras are tied at 7 Wimbledon titles.
‘The King of Swing’, Pete Sampras won his 7 titles from 1993-1995 and 1997-2000. ‘The Maestro’, Roger Federer won his 7 titles from 2003-2007, 2009 and 2012.
Federer – 2; Sampras – 1
Consecutive number of Wimbledon titles
While both players have had their run of dominance in parts, the benchmark was always Bjorn Borg’s run of 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles.
Pete Sampras fell short of this yardstick as he managed a haul of 4 consecutive titles. Roger Federer matched Bjorn Borg’s record.
Federer – 3; Sampras – 1
Consecutive number of Wimbledon Finals
Pete Sampras has an unassailable winning percentage in the Wimbledon Finals. A 100%!
However, he made it to the Finals only 4 consecutive times. Federer, on the other hand, reached the Finals 7 consecutive times from 2003 to 2009. He won 6 out of these 7 Finals; his only loss was to Rafael Nadal in the epic Final of Wimbledon 2008.
Federer – 4; Sampras – 1
Number of sets dropped in the Finals
When Sampras was in his prime, his serve and volley game on grass was second to none. His game on grass had reached such dizzying levels that even taking a set off him was unthinkable of for his opponents. Sampras dropped a total number 5 Sets only over the 7 Wimbledon Finals he triumphed in.
Roger Federer faced much stiffer opposition in most of his Finales. He dropped a total of 7 Sets and more number of games than Sampras over the Finals he triumphed in.
Federer – 4; Sampras – 2