The two greatest players to watch, ever. Federer, the free-flowing phantom and GOAT. Agassi, the methodical, tactical general who struck the ball earlier and more cleanly and accurately than anyone in history.
And go work on your brain if you think Agassi was a "cheater". He admitted to taking performance decreasing drugs in 1997. He barely won a match that year, let alone a title. People assumed he was semi-retired. Then he got his act together and fought back to get into tennis again.
Another naive Agassi fan... It's not about recreational drug I'm referring to. He was given amphetamine before the matches by his father for concentration. That enhanced his reflexes by huge amount, which was exactly the strength of his play. Good returner and all.
the top rated comment on this is absolutely not true, 100% false, and 7 people agree. You obviously dont watch enough of Roger Federer. He has always played the game!!! No doubt about that, the difference is he has lost half a step with age and the game is more demanding than it was, for example this video. Lets not also forget that the likes of Nadal and Djokovic are far better players than any of Federers opponents in the past. Fact! The joke is Federer still owns everyone when he plays sharp
@ILikeMarmiteALot Also, I think he used to play harder.. it's like he learned to be smarter about his play, using less energy than he used to. Watching some of the old matches, he runs for almost every point, but in the recent matches (from like 2007 on) it's like he's trying to control the opponent with strokes more, and he's conserving his legs more often than he runs like hell. In any case, he still kicks ass...
6 behind sampras and he deliberatly missed out on more than 10 in the beginning of his career + some later + the once he couldnt partic. in bcause of his meth habit - a more determined agassi could have beaten sampras record.... just think... number 3 in the world without playing wimbly and aussie ... he could even have been the youngest nr. 1 in the world ever! never has a player wasted his talent more and yet won over so many hearts and achieved so much success both on and off the tenniscourt
What a tough profession! Even Sampras says your chances of winning as a pro are "slim to none," as were his, he admits. At any given time, maybe one or two in the world have won a major tennis tournament in the past 12 months. Look at Roddick. He's been ranked #1 in the USA for years and can't even win. Compare that to hockey or football, where there are so many winners.
Agassi was already 34, i am a great Federer fan... and I really do hope fed will still put as much passion Agassi was during this match when he will be that age.
@symba I'm a big federer fan but I get the feeling federer won't be as successful as agassi was in his twilight years. I think federer's mental strength depends on his physical ability and his ability to win big matches. Federer is obviously declining in the physical realm and has lost a lot of big matches recently. I hope he proves me wrong but I can't see federer playing well until 35/36 years old like Agassi did.
@symba hell yeah. especially since knowing roger has never had any injuries or any type of physical problems like andre did so roger willl def have an easier time physically playing in a later age
If they had been in the same generation it would have been the greatest rivalry ever.
The reason is because their strengths play into each other's strengths. Agassi loves guys who stay back. Federer loves guys who hit flat and hard. Two heavyweights with huge arsenals.
Sampras had the ridiculous serve and he usually played Agassi on fast surfaces. Nadal has the topspin that gives Fed fits and they usually play on slow surfaces. Agassi/Federer -- that's a perfect rivalry.
@superman11978 Agreed Fed likes flat hard balls. i beleive he is going to be crowned the Best Grasscourt Baseliner of all time by the tennis Hall of Fame...
wow a 34 yr old agassi took federer almost to the brink...it wud b very interesting if fed from 2005 and agassi from 95 played each other.. that wud b a match to see
@cj397 he did not beat federer the year b4.....federer won both of the matches they played in 2003. federer has nt lost to agassi after 2002......he has a 8-3 record against agassi in which agassi won their 1st 3 meetings.....1998 basel, 2001 us open and 2002 miami final....
@masterofmucus Yup Agassi cussed Fed cause it deprived him of adding a few Slams. Agassi rejoiced in 02,03 thinking Sampras was the last thorn in his flesh...But then Fed arrived in 04 to make sure Aggassi could add no more Slams to his career...
@cj397Think he began to care as his career progressed... not as much as sampras obviously... but he mentions how he rose above mc, beck, wil. etc. by winning his 7th and 8th slam... in the beginning he didnt though.. He missed out on 3 wimblies and 8 aussies in the beginning and some more later on. Wonder how many he could have won.. given he won the first aussie he played. Think he could have dominated aussie in the beginning of his career like in the end.. and maybe 1 more wimbly ... who knows
@nizzam1 But remember that Agassi probably was most successful during the later part of his career.. I think Agassi from 95 would have been too aggressive and would have lost to Federer, but if it was the older, wiser Agassi with a younger physical body..
more and more lately i am watching federer videos from 2003 onwards and he really was, quite simply, much better back then. he played the game so, so differently compared to now. it is facinating. really reminds me why i fell in love with federer to begin with
@radioxxflyer Its because he used to play more counterpunch and then gun, as opposed to now when a lot of people are just scared of him and he just doesnt let them play
@radioxxflyer He has to adapt to those disgustingly slow courts now. This is unbelievable, every surface is almost the same. Balls bounce high, they are hard and slow... Just look at IW 2008-2011 and compare it to this video... The game is to slow, there are no varieties. Tennis was special (at least) because of different conditions and surfaces. The grass was really fast, balls have bounced lower, hard courts were like this, indoors were similar, but a bit faster, only the clay was slow. Sad.
@radioxxflyer Honestly, I don't know if that's true. No doubt he was a little quicker and a little more accurate. But he's learned to use his best tools with a level of nuance that he never possessed back in the day. His strategy and tactics have also had to improve as his physical attributes are entering their decline. I still love to watch him play.
@Tethros +1 People seem to forget that this is aHIGHLIGHT reel. Federer played this well at Roland Garros 2011 and US Open 2011. Go watch Fed v Monaco or Fed v Tsonga USO '11 and then tell me Federer is no more.
@ZXcannon absolutely right. i hope roger will draw the right conclusion of how he played in Paris and New York this year and will keep on playing on that level. if he does then i'm certain he will win at least one other slam.
@davd1986 no doubt Agassi is a legend. but Agassi was a great challenge to Federer whereas Federer demolished Monaco and Tsonga. to me, Federer plays just as well today as he did five years ago. the only difference being the rest of the field has caught up. and that's to be expected: if you keep playing each other, eventually the playing field will level.
@ZXcannon Actually I disagree. Federer still beats the people he used to beat when he was in top form/peak, which was around 2005/2006, and his 2003-2007 time period was one of the best runs ever. Federer doesn't move as well as he used to, his backhand isn't as solid (he shanks a lot of balls off that side), his forehand is still penetrating, but that too, has lost some buzz and consistency. He still has a mighty good record against everyone but a couple people.
@ZXcannon The style of play hasn't changed one bit since Federer became #1. In fact, I would actually argue it may have gotten more one-dimensional. The courts have been slowed down, the balls are bigger and get more fluffier (thus slowing down a lot more quickly than in the past), guys play a lot more percentage tennis rather than going for winners and attacking the net (net play has actually been dropping a lot for years now anyway). It's all about motivation now for Fed.
@ZXcannon Yes, people forget that even in the highlight reels, the score is usually closer than we realize. It's just that Federer's shots are more amazing and so end up dominating the highlights more often.. :)
@radioxxflyer I'm so sick of you greedy Federer fans ..Sorry he AGED and is 30 but can't play the equivalent of a 25 year old in his prime..God what more do you want? Is 16 Grand Slams not enough for you?do you want him to stop aging? Have some damn respect for the man
@TurdFergusonJunior cool glad someone i dont know on youtube is sick of me and other fed fans. i adore federer, seriously, i dont need 100 people a week telling me similar crap over and over. its my observation and i live and die with all of his wins and losses. i miss his prime, its human nature. im greatful for every time hes on court. take your anger out on something else seriously, its misdirected at me.
@radioxxflyer I totally agree with you. He was much more aggressive back then, which made his play all the more fearsome. However, technique wise, i believe that he's gotten much better over the years, and that today's Federer would whoop the ass of the one in this video. His footwork, serve, and net play are much better today, not to mention that he comes up more often with some magical shot that leaves you literally speechless. THE BEST TENNIS PLAYER EVER!!
@radioxxflyer Your comment makes no sense. You say ".. i am watching federer videos from 2003 onwards and he really was, quite simply, much better back then. " 2003 onwards encompasses a lot of time, including today. It would make more sense if you said I liked Federer's game from 2003 to 2006 or 2003 to 2008 for example. At least you are giving a time frame. If you say 2003 onwards I have no idea of when you think his game changed.
Agassi and Federer matches were so exciting to watch, much like Davydenko vs Federer matches. Both players hugging the baseline as much as possible, half volleying any deep ball rather than giving up space and going for winners. It isn't like this boring crap many players adopt these days by standing 10 feet behind the baseline like Nadal.
@AllGenreMusic I actually enjoy those Monfils/Nadal rallies. It's not so much about the rally, but what happens during the rally with some of the most incredible gets, then the point being reset perfectly then repeating the process maybe three times before the point ends. The way they fight to stay in a point is just incredible.
@Oreoclan Yeah, I mean I can understand how it is exciting for some fans/players, but I never really enjoyed watching those types of rallies :-/
Nadal is a lot more exciting to watch when he plays aggressively, but he reverts to safe mode many times when he starts getting beaten rather than going for it. I know it is his style of play, so he can't help it.
The two greatest players to watch, ever. Federer, the free-flowing phantom and GOAT. Agassi, the methodical, tactical general who struck the ball earlier and more cleanly and accurately than anyone in history.
And go work on your brain if you think Agassi was a "cheater". He admitted to taking performance decreasing drugs in 1997. He barely won a match that year, let alone a title. People assumed he was semi-retired. Then he got his act together and fought back to get into tennis again.
superman11978 3 weeks ago
His backhand was so clean back then.
dodododa 1 month ago
What about Agassi? he's 34 here ffs giving Federer a good match...not many 34 yr olds have pushed Federer
FlyingDoctor1988 2 months ago
@FlyingDoctor1988
The only problem is that Agassi is a cheater as he admitted. He was on drugs most of his career.
articist 2 months ago
@articist bollocks, he like sampras carried mens tennis for a decade and snorting coke before a match is hardly cheating...
FlyingDoctor1988 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@FlyingDoctor1988
Another naive Agassi fan... It's not about recreational drug I'm referring to. He was given amphetamine before the matches by his father for concentration. That enhanced his reflexes by huge amount, which was exactly the strength of his play. Good returner and all.
articist 2 months ago
Comment removed
articist 2 months ago
indeed.
meniuels 3 months ago
the top rated comment on this is absolutely not true, 100% false, and 7 people agree. You obviously dont watch enough of Roger Federer. He has always played the game!!! No doubt about that, the difference is he has lost half a step with age and the game is more demanding than it was, for example this video. Lets not also forget that the likes of Nadal and Djokovic are far better players than any of Federers opponents in the past. Fact! The joke is Federer still owns everyone when he plays sharp
ILikeMarmiteALot 3 months ago
@ILikeMarmiteALot Also, I think he used to play harder.. it's like he learned to be smarter about his play, using less energy than he used to. Watching some of the old matches, he runs for almost every point, but in the recent matches (from like 2007 on) it's like he's trying to control the opponent with strokes more, and he's conserving his legs more often than he runs like hell. In any case, he still kicks ass...
asdfuogh 2 months ago
is there a video of agassi thats not garbage
hendrix77777 4 months ago
Where were the big shots on important points like 6.49 against Djokovic this year?
incredibleXMan 4 months ago
federer made less unforced error when playing long rally! miss the old time
wailoong0120 5 months ago
it really was the federer show back then. at times laughable what he was able to do on the court.
radioxxflyer 5 months ago 2
6 behind sampras and he deliberatly missed out on more than 10 in the beginning of his career + some later + the once he couldnt partic. in bcause of his meth habit - a more determined agassi could have beaten sampras record.... just think... number 3 in the world without playing wimbly and aussie ... he could even have been the youngest nr. 1 in the world ever! never has a player wasted his talent more and yet won over so many hearts and achieved so much success both on and off the tenniscourt
telmolicious 8 months ago
@Gooberdeer It is about the most solid stroke a person can choose to emulate. No wasted motion and he generates tons of topspin and pace from them.
jr10spro 9 months ago
Agassi in 95 was godly
Kelevra516 9 months ago
@Kelevra516 Yeah but Federer in 2004 was godly too
viperdude281 7 months ago 2
@viperdude281 yeah haha agassi destroyed everyone in summer 95 only Sampras could beat him
Kelevra516 7 months ago
@Kelevra516
Yes. If he had won the US Open that year, the head to head vs Pete might be different.
LDis1 5 months ago
What a tough profession! Even Sampras says your chances of winning as a pro are "slim to none," as were his, he admits. At any given time, maybe one or two in the world have won a major tennis tournament in the past 12 months. Look at Roddick. He's been ranked #1 in the USA for years and can't even win. Compare that to hockey or football, where there are so many winners.
DexterHaven49 9 months ago
Agassi was already 34, i am a great Federer fan... and I really do hope fed will still put as much passion Agassi was during this match when he will be that age.
symba 9 months ago 9
@symba I'm a big federer fan but I get the feeling federer won't be as successful as agassi was in his twilight years. I think federer's mental strength depends on his physical ability and his ability to win big matches. Federer is obviously declining in the physical realm and has lost a lot of big matches recently. I hope he proves me wrong but I can't see federer playing well until 35/36 years old like Agassi did.
incredibleXMan 4 months ago
@symba hell yeah. especially since knowing roger has never had any injuries or any type of physical problems like andre did so roger willl def have an easier time physically playing in a later age
cj397 2 months ago in playlist Favorite videos
@symba if federer continues his carreer he could win till the age of 40
jembozzo 2 months ago
If they had been in the same generation it would have been the greatest rivalry ever.
The reason is because their strengths play into each other's strengths. Agassi loves guys who stay back. Federer loves guys who hit flat and hard. Two heavyweights with huge arsenals.
Sampras had the ridiculous serve and he usually played Agassi on fast surfaces. Nadal has the topspin that gives Fed fits and they usually play on slow surfaces. Agassi/Federer -- that's a perfect rivalry.
superman11978 10 months ago
@superman11978 Agreed Fed likes flat hard balls. i beleive he is going to be crowned the Best Grasscourt Baseliner of all time by the tennis Hall of Fame...
cathwitness 10 months ago
shot at 6:24 is fucking insane
misterlonely1446 1 year ago
wow a 34 yr old agassi took federer almost to the brink...it wud b very interesting if fed from 2005 and agassi from 95 played each other.. that wud b a match to see
nizzam1 1 year ago
@nizzam1 he beat federer the year before somewhere i forgot it's in andre's book.
andre wasnt playing for himself at this point, he was playing for his foundation
crazy life the dude had
cj397 1 year ago
@cj397 he did not beat federer the year b4.....federer won both of the matches they played in 2003. federer has nt lost to agassi after 2002......he has a 8-3 record against agassi in which agassi won their 1st 3 meetings.....1998 basel, 2001 us open and 2002 miami final....
masterofmucus 11 months ago
@masterofmucus yes 2002 miami i always confuse miami and indian wells matches since they're within 2 weeks
cj397 11 months ago
@cj397 hope indian well this yr is gud.....
masterofmucus 11 months ago
@masterofmucus Yup Agassi cussed Fed cause it deprived him of adding a few Slams. Agassi rejoiced in 02,03 thinking Sampras was the last thorn in his flesh...But then Fed arrived in 04 to make sure Aggassi could add no more Slams to his career...
cathwitness 10 months ago
@cathwitness andre didnt give a shit about how many slams he had then. read his book.
cj397 9 months ago
@cj397 but he would have one a USO or two and maybe an Australian or 2 without Fed around...
cathwitness 9 months ago
@cj397Think he began to care as his career progressed... not as much as sampras obviously... but he mentions how he rose above mc, beck, wil. etc. by winning his 7th and 8th slam... in the beginning he didnt though.. He missed out on 3 wimblies and 8 aussies in the beginning and some more later on. Wonder how many he could have won.. given he won the first aussie he played. Think he could have dominated aussie in the beginning of his career like in the end.. and maybe 1 more wimbly ... who knows
telmolicious 8 months ago
@nizzam1 But remember that Agassi probably was most successful during the later part of his career.. I think Agassi from 95 would have been too aggressive and would have lost to Federer, but if it was the older, wiser Agassi with a younger physical body..
asdfuogh 10 months ago
Back when could rally with his backhand, and his forehand was lethal. He just doesn't hit the ball this way anymore.
ispaht 1 year ago
@ispaht Did u watch the Djokovic match the other day..?
Flashswede 8 months ago
@Flashswede Yeah, what a pleasant surprise! Shame he couldn't sustain the level against Nadal, especially at key points.
ispaht 8 months ago
roger back in the maybe physically on top of his game, but his style lacked the finesse that hes acquired from his older age
millionairejh 1 year ago
Damn this was a fun highlight reel to watch! Wish tennis was more like this nowadays, not that today is all bad.
Deadeye287 1 year ago
young gun federer was sure a mean machine he was damn fast
fastmilion 1 year ago
one of the best federer moments, fisically seperb
ikky85 1 year ago
more and more lately i am watching federer videos from 2003 onwards and he really was, quite simply, much better back then. he played the game so, so differently compared to now. it is facinating. really reminds me why i fell in love with federer to begin with
radioxxflyer 1 year ago 10
@radioxxflyer Its because he used to play more counterpunch and then gun, as opposed to now when a lot of people are just scared of him and he just doesnt let them play
artygunnar 1 year ago
@radioxxflyer he was just so awesomely clutch back then
slihb 5 months ago
@radioxxflyer He has to adapt to those disgustingly slow courts now. This is unbelievable, every surface is almost the same. Balls bounce high, they are hard and slow... Just look at IW 2008-2011 and compare it to this video... The game is to slow, there are no varieties. Tennis was special (at least) because of different conditions and surfaces. The grass was really fast, balls have bounced lower, hard courts were like this, indoors were similar, but a bit faster, only the clay was slow. Sad.
pirlo026klc 5 months ago
@radioxxflyer Honestly, I don't know if that's true. No doubt he was a little quicker and a little more accurate. But he's learned to use his best tools with a level of nuance that he never possessed back in the day. His strategy and tactics have also had to improve as his physical attributes are entering their decline. I still love to watch him play.
Tethros 4 months ago 2
@Tethros +1 People seem to forget that this is aHIGHLIGHT reel. Federer played this well at Roland Garros 2011 and US Open 2011. Go watch Fed v Monaco or Fed v Tsonga USO '11 and then tell me Federer is no more.
ZXcannon 4 months ago
@ZXcannon absolutely right. i hope roger will draw the right conclusion of how he played in Paris and New York this year and will keep on playing on that level. if he does then i'm certain he will win at least one other slam.
deagmomo 3 months ago
@ZXcannon No disrespect to Monaco and Tsonga, but Agassi is way, way, way better, even at Age 34.
davd1986 3 months ago
@davd1986 no doubt Agassi is a legend. but Agassi was a great challenge to Federer whereas Federer demolished Monaco and Tsonga. to me, Federer plays just as well today as he did five years ago. the only difference being the rest of the field has caught up. and that's to be expected: if you keep playing each other, eventually the playing field will level.
ZXcannon 2 months ago
@ZXcannon Actually I disagree. Federer still beats the people he used to beat when he was in top form/peak, which was around 2005/2006, and his 2003-2007 time period was one of the best runs ever. Federer doesn't move as well as he used to, his backhand isn't as solid (he shanks a lot of balls off that side), his forehand is still penetrating, but that too, has lost some buzz and consistency. He still has a mighty good record against everyone but a couple people.
davd1986 2 months ago
@ZXcannon The style of play hasn't changed one bit since Federer became #1. In fact, I would actually argue it may have gotten more one-dimensional. The courts have been slowed down, the balls are bigger and get more fluffier (thus slowing down a lot more quickly than in the past), guys play a lot more percentage tennis rather than going for winners and attacking the net (net play has actually been dropping a lot for years now anyway). It's all about motivation now for Fed.
davd1986 2 months ago
@ZXcannon Yes, people forget that even in the highlight reels, the score is usually closer than we realize. It's just that Federer's shots are more amazing and so end up dominating the highlights more often.. :)
asdfuogh 2 months ago
@radioxxflyer I'm so sick of you greedy Federer fans ..Sorry he AGED and is 30 but can't play the equivalent of a 25 year old in his prime..God what more do you want? Is 16 Grand Slams not enough for you?do you want him to stop aging? Have some damn respect for the man
TurdFergusonJunior 2 months ago
@TurdFergusonJunior cool glad someone i dont know on youtube is sick of me and other fed fans. i adore federer, seriously, i dont need 100 people a week telling me similar crap over and over. its my observation and i live and die with all of his wins and losses. i miss his prime, its human nature. im greatful for every time hes on court. take your anger out on something else seriously, its misdirected at me.
radioxxflyer 2 months ago 3
@radioxxflyer I totally agree with you. He was much more aggressive back then, which made his play all the more fearsome. However, technique wise, i believe that he's gotten much better over the years, and that today's Federer would whoop the ass of the one in this video. His footwork, serve, and net play are much better today, not to mention that he comes up more often with some magical shot that leaves you literally speechless. THE BEST TENNIS PLAYER EVER!!
DarkMugiwara 2 months ago 2
@radioxxflyer Your comment makes no sense. You say ".. i am watching federer videos from 2003 onwards and he really was, quite simply, much better back then. " 2003 onwards encompasses a lot of time, including today. It would make more sense if you said I liked Federer's game from 2003 to 2006 or 2003 to 2008 for example. At least you are giving a time frame. If you say 2003 onwards I have no idea of when you think his game changed.
TheTopspin77 1 month ago
Agassi and Federer matches were so exciting to watch, much like Davydenko vs Federer matches. Both players hugging the baseline as much as possible, half volleying any deep ball rather than giving up space and going for winners. It isn't like this boring crap many players adopt these days by standing 10 feet behind the baseline like Nadal.
AllGenreMusic 1 year ago
@AllGenreMusic I actually enjoy those Monfils/Nadal rallies. It's not so much about the rally, but what happens during the rally with some of the most incredible gets, then the point being reset perfectly then repeating the process maybe three times before the point ends. The way they fight to stay in a point is just incredible.
Oreoclan 1 year ago
@Oreoclan Yeah, I mean I can understand how it is exciting for some fans/players, but I never really enjoyed watching those types of rallies :-/
Nadal is a lot more exciting to watch when he plays aggressively, but he reverts to safe mode many times when he starts getting beaten rather than going for it. I know it is his style of play, so he can't help it.
AllGenreMusic 1 year ago
awesome, high class tennis from both
andrewblastoff 1 year ago
I miss Agassi. :--(
ASPERGER0584 1 year ago 2
Crazy
peacem12 1 year ago