Head-to-head: Roger versus Tiger
Who dominates their sport more?
ROMER BAUTISTA STAFF
As sports fans, we are fortunate enough to be living in an era where two athletes are playing at such a high level that they are heads and shoulders above the rest of their competitors. It has come to the point where both these athletes could go down in history as the greatest to ever play their sports. The two that I am talking about are Roger Federer and Tiger Woods: two athletes so dominant in their respective sports that it comes as a surprise each time they fail to win a tournament. But which of these great athletes is more dominant? A sound argument can be made for both.
The case for Roger
Roger Federer has been the ATP’s number-one-ranked tennis player since February 2, 2004, a stretch of close to a thousand days on top. Roger began to really dominate the sport of tennis in 2003, when he won his first-ever grand slam title by taking home Wimbledon’s top prize.
His stretch of play since then is something that has not been seen or heard of throughout the history of the sport. Of the past 14 grand slam tournaments that he has competed in, Roger has left victorious nine times, including an astounding four straight Wimbledon titles and three straight U.S. Open titles. Those nine grand slam titles places him fifth in history, only five behind the legendary Pete Sampras. These feats are all the more amazing when you consider the fact that Roger is only 25 years old, and entering the prime of his tennis career.
It’s not just that Roger is winning; it is the fashion in which he is doing so that makes him the most dominant athlete of our time. Take, for example, Roger’s latest conquest, the U.S. Open, where Roger seemingly cruised to victory, losing only two sets the entire tournament. With feats like that, it is clear that Roger’s nearest rivals still have a ton of work to do before they even begin to come close to ending his dominance.
The case for Tiger
A lot has been said of Tiger Woods’ career since he played in his first professional tournament in 1996, and rightfully so. Tiger has completely transcended the sport of golf, and has made any tournament he plays in a “must-see” event. Fan interest in golf has multiplied, and television ratings have skyrocketed since Tiger began his dominance.
He first claimed the tour’s number-one ranking at the recordsetting age of 21, and has rarely been displaced from that position since. When Tiger is on top of his game, there is nothing stopping him from winning tournament after tournament. Just this past season, Tiger went on an amazing streak, winning five consecutive tournaments. If he isn’t winning every tournament, he certainly is in the hunt for the victory. Tiger has had a streak of 137 consecutive tournaments without missing the cut.
Tiger tends to raise his game when he plays on the majors. Tiger now has 12 major titles under his belt, and is well on his way to eclipsing Jack Nicklaus’ elusive record of 18 titles. In the nearly 40 major championships that Tiger has played in as a professional, the only tournament where he was eliminated before the weekend was the 2006 U.S. Open.
All these numbers are especially staggering when you take into consideration the great golfers that Tiger is defeating. Names like Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, and Ernie Els would normally be dominating the sport, but because they are playing in the “Tiger era” they are constantly playing second fiddle. It really is a testament to Tiger’s current dominance of the sport of golf.
Choosing between Roger and Tiger is like choosing between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. There really isn’t a wrong answer. If you held a gun to my head, and forced a choice out of me, I would have to pick Roger as the more dominant, based on how easy he makes defeating his opponents look. That is clearly not a knock on Tiger, who continues to win despite facing a much tougher field. One thing is for sure though, by watching these two greats, the only winners are us, the fans.
