GOAT? How about the best you have seen play the game

Stats, stats and more stats. When the usual GOAT debate comes round it is always Stats that very much make up about 80% of peoples choice. I think it is best for me to get a rounded view of peoples favourite players by asking simply who is the best player you have ever seen? It doesn't require stats, but just 'on his/her day, they are the best I have seen'

For me the best I have seen:

Boris Becker - Never got the pleasure to see him live in his pomp, but I remember on the tennis courts always wanting to be him when I begun playing with me wooden racquet. The power, diving at the net. He was just a representation of what I would want to be in a tennis player. It is a shame he didn't win more Slams than he did.

Roger Federer - Now I have had the privilege of seeing this guy live and that is what it is. A privilege. You are left wondering more than anything else how he makes up the ground on court given he doesn't seem to be the quickest on his feet. When un-leashing the FH it is like a shotgun and the racquet head speed through the ball is phenominal. Plus he has one of the quickest serving actions I have seen! A true pleasure to watch and for me the Greatest there has been.

Over to you.

Steffi Graf. My first tennis love. Just a wonderful player to watch, best forehand of all time IMO. So different from the women's game today

On the men's side, going to have to plump for Federer. I have huge respect for Sampras, Nadal, and I've always had a soft spot for Edberg who was a pure artist on the court, but Federer could make the impossible look mundane, and the way he glided across the court in his pomp was sheer poetry.

I've said before (back in the 606 days) that I have a preference for watching sportsmen who make the near impossible look effortless. As such, the only GOAT in the men's game (noting that my memories of watching tennis go back to the late 70s) has to be Federer. Sampras on his day was extraordinary as well, but moved more like a big cat prowling the courts than a God who simply floats over them.

I like the nomination of Becker - as someone just a few years younger than him, watching the big hooligan throwing himself all over the court in his first couple of years had a wonderful appeal.

On the women's side of the game, there are two - Navratilova and Graf. It's great watching back at how both of them played, because it shows that women's tennis does not have to be boring, one-dimensional ball bashing from the baseline.

Loved watching Ilie Nastase. He might not have been the best as his mental fragility probably meant he didn't achieve as many slams as he could have. However his natural talent and superb shot making ability made him very entertaining to watch.

Pancho, Laver, Rosewall, Borg, Vilas, McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Sampras, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, ...

Evert, Navaratilova, Graf, Seles, Henin, Williams sisters, Stosur, ...

Hard to pick from so many fantastic players.

I love watching Federer, especially in his prime. He oozes class. I don't like watching Nadal though. The whole running about and hitting the ball as hard as possible thing doesn't appeal to me. Plus he spends too much pulling at his posterior, if you get what I mean

It is good to see some top names on people's lists and opinions.

It is good to see someone say Nastase. My mum saw him play in his pomp and also on the senior's circuit. She loves his charisma and that has always been something that has appealed to her more.

TMF for the men - honourable second is McEnroe

TMF- I only started to watch tennis again because of him.

TMF? The Man Federer?

barrystar wrote:TMF for the men - honourable second is McEnroe

I'd agree with that.

Nalbandian is one that in my view was the closest to Federer talent wise so an honourable mention too.


But the difference between those players is so thin talent wise that once you add one or 2, yuo tend to add many others

such as Medvedev on clay....in my view even better than Mecir, Rios, etc...

Federer all the way...like others have said, he is the reason I watch and play tennis now.

TMF is 'The Mighty Federer'.

I have to concur.

I have to admit I enjoyed watching Safin. Good or bad he did give a performance. In a way he was in the Nastase mould. Had the power to take on anyone on his day.

I also enjoyed watching Rafter. I enjoyed watching his dogged determination. Reminded me of a McEnroe/Connors type. Lovely touch at the net.

I cannot believe that no-one has mentioned Aggassi!

Surely one of the greats of all time (even if he HATED tennis)

I cannot believe that no-one has mentioned Aggassi!

i was just about to mention agassi

Nadal & S. Williams. At their best they are the closest I have ever seen to unbeatable.

Federer for style
Connors for guts
Pancho for drama
Graf for that forehand
Edberg for volleying
Nastase for craziness
Sampras for serve (did anyone look LESS likely to lose serve)
Henman for AAAARGGHHH - real behind the sofa stuff. Gosh it was hard work watching him.

For me its Borg.

Forget the stats, I was routing for him every time he stepped on the court.

I loved how he played tennis, his composure and his concentration, best of all, I loved his backhand, where he would lift his left hand off to get a bit more feel into the shot. How did he do that ?

The best I've seen is federer by a long way though my memory of sampras in the 90s is a bit hazy. I stopped watching after 2001 and only heard about his exploits in 2003 and 2004. What got me back into tennis was the Wimbledon final in 2005 where federer was hitting every kind of shot i could imagine.

Federer - if anyone hasn't seen him live, I would urge them to do so before he wanders off into the sunset. Television just doesn't do his lightening expressive game justice. Always was a big fan, but was in awe after seeing him play in the flesh the first time.

Surprise surprise as no one mentioned Nadal here

What's up folks?

wow wrote:Surprise surprise as no one mentioned Nadal here

What's up folks?

Possibly because as fans people don't find the 'brand' of tennis something that they could either attempt or warm to.

I think maybe younger generations in years to come may feel differently, but for me Becker and Federer have played unlike I have seen before. With Nadal, yes he has the best FH I have seen when in full flow, but I don't know what it is but I can't find myself cheering for him. I like him from what I see in the press. How can I put it, I find it 'tiresome' to watch him, If Murray wasn't British I would feel the same too probably

Weird

wow wrote:Surprise surprise as no one mentioned Nadal here

What's up folks?

icecold did