A gamechanger and a gentleman: Roger Federer finally calls time

Shortly after Pete Sampras departed the 2000 Wimbledon final as a 13-time grand slam champion, he was asked a simple question in his press conference: “Can you think of anybody beating the record?” At the time many people wondered the same thing as Sampras built a seemingly untouchable standing in the game. Now it seems laughable. Exactly a year later, that person toppled him on Centre Court.

So often in sport, the concept of a young upstart taking the baton from a veteran is more myth or narrative than reality, yet in Roger Federer’s case it was a defining moment in tennis history. He marked his arrival at the top of the sport by defeating Sampras, his idol, at 19 years old in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2001.

Two years later Federer won his first title at Wimbledon, ushering men’s tennis into a new era. The way that he ruthlessly tore through the field, playing the game at a higher level than anyone before, is still unlike anything that has been seen. Despite the best efforts of poor Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and many others, he had no rival. In some ways, it is even more impressive – at one stage there was no other player to truly push him, as has been the case with most of the greats. He was simply that good. Between 2004 and 2007 alone he won 11 slams, amassing victories and titles at an astounding rate.

The spectacle alone has made his greatness feel more special. Federer suffocated opponents with his smooth all-out aggression, constantly taking his forehand, one of the greatest there ever was, so early. He continued to sweep to the net even as his rivals remained rooted to the baseline. Federer’s arsenal of shots was endless, and on court he moved like the wind yet he was so efficient. Over the course of