By Randy Walker
Roger Federer has a very important goal at this year’s 2010 French Open.
Of course, as with all tournaments, his main priority is to win the title and add to his growing tally of major tournament titles. But Federer is on the verge of another important milestone in tennis history.
As of Monday, May 17, Federer has been ranked No. 1 in the ATP World Tour computer for 283 weeks. He is guaranteed to be ranked No. 1 for the two weeks of the French Open, but if Rafael Nadal wins his fifth French title, which he is a heavy favorite to do, Federer will have to reach at least the semifinals to maintain his No. 1 ranking on Monday, June 7 and tie the record of Pete Sampras for most weeks ranked No. 1 in the world (286 weeks).
Whether Federer holds on to break the record by holding the ranking for another week still is uncertain, depending on his exact result at the French Open and what happens during the Halle, Germany and Queen’s Club tournaments the following week.
Browsing through the 792-page volume THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS ($35.95, New Chapter Press, www.NewChapterMedia.com), there are many more records for Federer to take aim at in addition to his weeks-at-No. 1 accomplishment. For example, would it realistic for Roger to take aim at Margaret Court and her 24 career major singles titles as a goal? Could Roger, at age 28, possibly win eight more major singles titles? With six more major singles victories, Federer would equal Steffi Graf’s tally of 22 major singles titles (which is No. 2 all-time to Court’s 24 titles). With three more major singles titles, he would tie Helen Wills and her 19 major singles titles; two more majors and he will stand with the efforts of both Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who both won 18 major singles titles.
Roger currently has won six Wimbledon titles. One more title at the All England Club and he will equal Pete Sampras’ modern record of seven. (Sampras is also tied with Willie Renshaw, who won seven titles from 1881-1886, 1889 but Renshaw only played one match to win five of his titles as the tournament holder).
At the U.S. Open, Federer has won five singles titles, the most in the Open Era (since 1968) with Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras. He was painfully short of winning a sixth straight title, falling in a five-set final to Juan Martin del Potro. One more title at Flushing Meadows will place him in a league of his own as Flushing’s greatest champion. Bill Tilden, Bill Larned and Richard Sears, however, all won U.S. seven titles, the record, but in the pre-1968 era and Larned and Sears played in the era when the defending champion received a bye into the final.
Federer has won 62 career ATP singles titles. Jimmy Connors’ record of 109 is well out of reach, as is Ivan Lendl’s 94 titles that place him in second place, but moving ahead of Sampras, who won 64 titles and stands in fourth place, would seem an attainable goal. Moving ahead of John McEnroe and his 77 career singles titles may also be achievable.
