Roger Federer can easily be called the greatest player that has ever lived, especially after his 15th Grand Slam title, when he surpassed Pete Sampras’ record. Federer has done absolutely everything required of him, having won such a huge quantity of titles, and on every surface at that. Sampras, to his credit, was very quick after the match to acknowledge that Federer is the greatest player to have lived, and you would be hard pressed to disagree.

Rod Laver, another one of the tennis greats, missed seven years of his career when he would most probably have won many more majors, but it will not stop people from ranking the top players. Laver did have two real Grand Slams to his name i.e. winning all four Slams in a year, and that has to count for a lot, even though he won fewer titles in total. What can be said with absolute certainty is that Federer is the best player since Laver, and nobody can argue with that.

On Sunday at the Holy Mecca of tennis, in front of tennis Gods, like Bjorg, Rod Laver, Sampras, Roger Federer attained immortality. However, he was not able to disimantle Roddick, as many of us predicted. Federer and Andy Roddick kept us guessing through the length and process of their final, though they infrequently played well at the same time.

Four and a quarter hours it lasted, finishing 16-14 in the last set. But by winning one of the longest finals ever, Federer stood where no one has ever done before. We are privileged to have been watching perhaps one of the greatest players ever to grace tennis.

One thing that differentiates Federer from other greats is his finesse on tennis court. He also has the best backhand ever; in fact he has revolutionized the backhand by using one hand rather than conventional two hands.

Will Wimbledon 2009 will be remembered? Well, for a start, it should be remembered because there was no Rafael Nadal taking part. In another way though, it will be remembered for the new sliding translucent roof, which, one night, had to be closed for one of Andy Murray’s dramas.

This is what Pete Sampras had to say on Federer: “I think you have to give it to him. The critics say (Rod) Laver, and (Rafael) Nadal’s beaten him a few times in majors. But he’s won all the majors, he’s won 15 now, he’s going to win a few more. In my book he is (the greatest).”

Roger Federer is also the sixth man in history to have won all four Grand Slams – he achieved this feat by winning French Open last month. Apart from his 15th Grand Slam titles, another piece of history Federer is now chasing is a seventh Wimbledon title won by Pistol Pete. He has won six now.

But all this doesn’t stop people calling him “ Simply the Best”