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13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 28 SEPTEMBER 2022 OPINION John William Devine John William Devine is Lecturer in Sports Ethics and Integrity, Swansea University ROGER Federer's retirement from competitive tennis means the sun is starting to set on a golden generation of men's tennis, underpinned by the ex- traordinary feats of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djok- ovic. News of his retirement has reignited debate about whether he is not just a great of men's tennis but the GOAT: the greatest of all time. For many, Federer stands alone at the apex of this and every other generation. But this view is not borne out by the numbers. Federer has won few- er grand slams than Nadal and Djokovic, spent fewer weeks at world number one than Djok- ovic, and won fewer ATP titles than Jimmy Connors. However, raw numbers are an inadequate measure of sporting success. For one thing, they ob- scure the effect of events that disrupt equality of opportuni- ty across the generations. For example, the numbers do not reflect the recent COVID in- terruption (and subsequent ex- clusion from competition of the unvaccinated Djokovic), nor do they capture the transitional period from amateur to profes- sional tennis. How many grand slam titles would Rod Laver have won had he not been banned from grand slam events for five years (1963- 1967) following his departure from the professional tour? La- ver won 11 grand slams during his career, including a calendar grand slam (winning all four slams in the same year) both prior to, and following, his ban. The achievement of even one calendar grand slam has eluded Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Even if we had a fair and accu- rate means to compare sporting success across generations, this would not settle the question of greatness. For sporting great- ness is not reducible to sporting success. This distinction may be what Federer fans allude to when they refer to him as the GOAT. Rather than nostalgia for a time when the numbers stacked up in his favour, they may be pointing to a broader notion of sporting greatness. What makes sporting great- ness? We should embrace a more nuanced understanding of sporting greatness than one re- stricted to rankings and titles. Victory is one sporting value among many. To operate with the restricted view overlooks important sporting values that were the hallmark of Federer's career: excellence, aesthetics and integrity. Excellence Federer played "total tennis". He possessed the full repertoire of skills and capacities – ele- ments of excellence – that the sport tests and makes possi- ble. During his prime, he could serve-and-volley to win points quickly or grind out long rallies from behind the baseline. As he entered his mid-thirties, he reinvented his game to play on the baseline and take the ball earlier. While his rivals relied on executing a narrower set of "excellences" supremely well, Federer adapted his game to whatever the circumstance de- manded by showcasing differ- ent elements at different times. Aesthetics The great players do not just perfect the sport as it is, they al- ter our understanding of what it can be. While aesthetics is cen- tral to a sport such as gymnas- tics, it is incidental to tennis. An ugly point counts for just as much as a sublime point; un- gainly strokes can be as effec- tive as elegant strokes. However, Federer's style was uniquely pleasing to the eye. He brought tennis to new aesthet- ic heights with the grace and fluidity of his strokes and his smooth explosive athleticism. He showed that efficiency need not come at the cost of beauty. His style eliminated the distinc- tion between racket and play- er; in his hand, the racket was an extension, not an addition. Federer revealed new aesthet- ic possibilities in tennis while never compromising on the pursuit of excellence. Integrity Finally, Federer's greatness al- so lies partly in his ethics. His integrity as an athlete was most clearly evident in how he con- ducted himself on the court, how he managed his rivalries, and, perhaps most memorably, how he competed against his greatest rival. For one so acquainted with winning, Federer knew how to lose well. Throughout his career of more than 1,700 matches, he never retired from a match, never feigned or submitted to injury as a contest began to slip away. He was awarded the ATP sportsmanship award 13 times, an accolade voted on by his fel- low professionals on the men's tour. At each stage of his career, he cultivated relations of recip- rocal respect and appreciation with his main rivals, whether it was Andy Roddick in his early period, Nadal in his middle pe- riod, or Djokovic in his late pe- riod. Through his rivalry with Nadal in particular, we wit- nessed competition at its best – a mutual quest for excellence in which both players laid down a challenge to each other, and in so doing extended each other's abilities and improved one an- other in the process. While their complementary strengths and weaknesses com- bined to make for compelling contests, the moral quality of the Federer/Nadal rivalry al- so stands out. They showed us how to compete well. They competed as fiercely as two ath- letes can, for the highest stakes in their sport, yet neither re- sorted to the morally dubious means of cheating or games- manship. Even when chasing history, they proved that competition does not have to be cutthroat. Their example puts the lie to any cynical view of competition according to which rivals must be enemies and every oppor- tunity for advantage must be seized. In doing so, Federer and Nadal have done a service not just to tennis but to sport. Federer has honoured and deepened a tradition of tennis that stretches back through his idol, Pete Sampras, and Sam- pras's idol, Rod Laver. This tradition prizes attacking flair, fluid technique and impeccable conduct. The modern history of men's tennis arguably begins with Laver, so it is appropriate that the Federer era ends this weekend at the Laver Cup. In the final analysis, where Federer stands in the panthe- on of great tennis champions is less important than how he broadened our understanding of sporting greatness itself. Suc- cess is part of it, but only part – excellence, aesthetics, and in- tegrity also define the greatest of all time. Roger Federer proved sporting greatness is about more than just winning Switzerland's Roger Federer is raised in the air by teammates after playing his final match, a doubles with Spain's Rafael Nadal of Team Europe against USA's Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe of Team World in the 2022 Laver Cup