Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the world's greatest athlete. That's right, it's Roger Federer, a TENNIS player. Fresh off his terrific victory over Andy Roddick Wednesday night, Fed has once again shown why his greatness is unrivaled in any sport.

Want some numbers? Here are some fun ones. He's won 50 career singles titles, including 11 Grand Slams. He's won the last 5 Wimbledons, the last 2 Australian Opens and the last 3 US Opens (and he'll probably win this one too). He's reached the finals of the last 9 Grand Slams (a record). He's the first man in the Open era to win at least ten singles tournaments in three consecutive years. He's the only guy to have ever won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open three consecutive years. He's been ranked No. 1 in the world since February 2, 2004. That's 188 consecutive weeks, the longest of any player ever, male or female. He's won over million dollars in prize money and, oh by the way, he's only 26. Meaning by 28 or so, he will break Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slams.

Whatever you think about tennis, and I realize most people don't think about tennis much, you have to admit those numbers are eye-popping, but more than that, they are flat out dominating. Find me an athlete anywhere that rivals those numbers. The only one that's close is Tiger Woods and even Tiger has admitted Roger is more dominant than he is.

But with Federer, it's not just about numbers. It's about his mental make-up. This guy truly has the heart of a champion. I went to his match the other night against Feliciano Lopez. Federer lost the first set and was in trouble in the second. And then, with Lopez playing out of his mind, it happened. The way it always does. The light bulb went on and the Federer domination began. He hit winner after winner, passing shot after passing shot, great serve after great serve. Before any of us knew it, Federer had won the second set and was steamrolling in the third. He closed a stunned Lopez out in four sets.

That's the thing with Federer; he's never vulnerable. On the rare occassion that he's down, he finds a way to step it up. Like moving in on the return of serve or coming to net more. And when he has the lead, forget it. The match is over. He takes his game to an even higher level, like a shark that smells blood. He's the Mariano Rivera of tennis. He's the best finisher around.

I know the argument against him, and I'm sure a few of you are saying this right now. He can't win the French. Well, first of all, he's made it to the finals two years in a row, so it's not like he can't play on clay. And in both of those finals to Nadal, he's been right in the match. But here's the thing, Sampras never won the French either and many consider him to be the best player ever. And, I really believe Federer will win the French next year. He'll dedicate himself to winning that tournament, find a way to handle Nadal's heavy topspin, and conquer his one remaining obstacle.

Last night, Federer took on Roddick in a very hostile environment. The crowd — which usually adores Roger — was decidedly pro-ARod. And Roddick played really, really well. But in the tiebreakers, there was good ol' Roger, dodging attacks and playing big points better than anybody else in the game. — the way he always does. And in the end, it was his 14th win in 15 tries against Roddick.

Federer is now only two matches away from winning his fourth straight US Open; to go along with his five consecutive Wimbledons. But if for some reason he falls short and doesn't win this tournament, it won't change my mind one bit. Roger Federer dominates his sport like nobody else on earth and therefore holds the title of the World's Greatest Athlete.