160 and Counting
The records keep falling or rather being created anew... Next week, Roger Federer will break Jimmy Connors' long-standing record for the most consecutive weeks ranked as the Number One player in the world. Connors’ record of 160 consecutive weeks has lasted since 1977. Given Federer's stellar play the past three seasons, it's not that surprising that he would break Connors' record. What this new accomplishment highlights is exactly how consistent Federer has been. There has sometimes
been a debate regarding players who have been crowned "Number One Tennis Player" for a given year, but there can be no debate about how well Federer has played week in and week out over the past three years. That may be one aspect of Federer’s career which truly distinguishes him from other tennis legends over time. It will also be (one of) Federer’s greatest challenges to maintain. They always say you are as good as your very best tennis, but what distinguishes true champions is that they are able to win when they are not playing their best as Federer has done several times during the past few years.
|
