With all that he has accomplished in his long and illustrious career, one would think Roger Federer breaking and setting new records would be old hat.  One would be wrong.  This Friday evening in Rotterdam, the Swiss will take on Robin Haase with more than just a berth in the semifinals hanging in the balance.  Should he win, he will surpass Andre Agassi as the oldest man to hold the Number 1 ranking.  It is a quest that has caught the tennis world by storm, and one that should he succeed, will not only be great for tennis but sports as a whole.

As a legend even among other legends, Federer has been one of the players heavily responsible for putting tennis in the headlines.  His smooth and effortless style has been a joy for many to behold, and his exploits as he has chased down record after record has caught the attention of general sports fans, perhaps bringing others to love and enjoy the game who might otherwise have never stopped to watch.  His latest quest to overtake Agassi is just one more example of how he is able to generate buzz and can only be a positive for tennis.

In addition to the increased chatter about the sport, there is the fact that historically, Federer has proven to be a great world no. 1.  In tennis, as in any sport, there are superstars who really embrace the role of being at the top and those who shy away from it and prefer to deflect expectations.  Federer is the former, which is a big part of the reason why he was able to hold that top spot for a record number of weeks.  He also understands the responsibility that comes with the ranking as far as being an ambassador, and here again, he has been nearly flawless.  He is popular among his peers on both tours, a fan-favorite around the globe, and even a poll in 2011 found Federer to be the second-most respected public figure on the planet, one spot behind Nelson Mandela.  Suffice it to say, it is hard to envision putting a better face on the sport right now than the Swiss.

Arguably the greatest thing about Federer possibly taking over the top ranking though is the inspiration that it can provide others.  Coming into last season, he had not won a major since 2012.  The niggling injuries were starting to force him to take more breaks.  He was also competing against some stiff and younger competition in fellow greats like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who have also put together careers better than most.  There was repeated talk of how Federer's time was done, and hope that he would win another major let alone ascend to the top of the rankings increasingly looked like a pipe dream.  No one would have blamed him if he chose to walk away during those dark times.  He seemingly had nothing left to prove.  But instead, he continued to push himself, tinkered with his game, and emphatically demonstrated that he is far from washed up.  He has scooped up three majors between the start of 2017 and now, and barring any unforeseen circumstances will be a favorite to add to that tally later this year.  In short, what Federer has done the last fourteen months has potentially been one of the most impressive and important segments of his career.

Yes, there is definitely another possible Federer fairy tale in the making.  It has been a remarkable journey for him and one that has people outside of the usual tennis circles talking.  Haase's ability to play spoiler should not be underestimated, but there are going to be plenty of fellow players, pundits, and fans around the globe anxiously waiting to see if the Swiss can add yet another record to his list of phenomenal achievements.