John McEnroe

Former world number one John McEnroe has cast doubt on whether Roger Federer may ever pass Pete Sampras’s record of 14 grand slam titles.

The American told reporters on Thursday that the coronation of Rafael Nadal at the top of the world rankings, to be confirmed on Aug 18, and the Spaniard’s defeat of the Swiss in the Wimbledon final, had broken Federer’s aura of invincibility.

Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer are to team up for a doubles exhibition in Macau in November.

The Swede and the Swiss, who have each won five Wimbledon titles, will take on the pairing of John McEnroe and either Rafael Nadal or James Blake as part of a special event on the BlackRock Tour of Champions.

The result of the Davis Cup semi-final between Spain and the United States in September will determine whether it is Nadal or Blake who plays in the event.

Earlier this month Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final that was a match for the ages.  It had everything: a high quality of play, great drama in which Federer rallied from two sets down to finally lead and a battle to finish the match before impending darkness.  It had history riding on it since Federer was bidding to break the record he shared with Bjorn Borg of five straight Wimbledon titles and Nadal was aiming to become the first man since Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Tennis fanatics hi

They’ll talk about the 2008 Wimbledon men’s final for years. Or at least until Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal top themselves.

Which, theoretically, could happen in about two months in the U.S. Open final.

Roger Federer admitted losing his Wimbledon crown to Rafael Nadal was the toughest defeat of his career.

But everyone else was still marvelling over arguably the greatest tennis match in history.

John McEnroe said Nadal's 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7 victory was the best match he had ever seen and that included his 1980 final against Bjorn Borg, which entranced tennis fans across the globe.

Federer said: "It's up to the fans to judge whether it was the best ever. I'm happy we put in a great effort.

 John McEnroe, who won the last of his three Wimbledon titles two years before Rafael Nadal was born, admitted he was stunned by the power of the Spaniard when they practiced together on Friday.

The 49-year-old American warmed-up with the four-time French Open winner just before the world number two took on Rainer Schuettler in his semi-final at the All England Club.

"It was fun to get a first-hand look," said McEnroe, the champion in 1981, 1983 and 1984.

In the last six weeks Rafael Nadal has taken his game to another level.

He thrashed every opponent in the French Open, then beat Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic on his way to the Queen's title.

Right now, he is clearly playing the best he has ever played on grass.

Pete Sampras will kick off his 2008 c season this week as he will look to defend his title at the $150,000 Champions Cup Boston that begins Wednesday at the Agganis Arena in Boston. The Champions Cup Boston, which will be held April 30-May 4, is the third of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.

 Swedish tennis great Bjorn Borg has tipped Spain's Rafael Nadal to replace Switzerland's Roger Federer as the world number one player in a newspaper interview published Friday.

"I believe the Spaniard will be the heir to the throne," he told Spanish sports daily AS, adding 21-year-old Nadal was "working to become a total, complete player."

Number two ranked Nadal's physically demanding style should not be a hindrance, he said.

First Andy Roddick, now Patrick McEnroe.