Roger Federer is 30

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Happy 30th birthday to Roger Federer, the greatest tennis player of all time except for the one guy who consistently beats him and that other guy who keeps beating both of them.

Beyond his astonishing talent, Federer is sportsmanlike, charitable, intelligent and widely admired by his peers. The rare top-tier athlete who answers interview questions not in cliches but with substantive, interesting replies, Federer speaks five languages and exudes class in all of them. He is a credit to his sport, to his native Switzerland, to his species.

At an age when many top players have peaked or even retired—McEnroe and Borg, for example, never won a major after age 25—Federer still has the fire and remains a contender for top titles. Although he hasn't won a major tournament since the 2010 Australian Open, and must therefore win the upcoming U.S. Open in order to stave off his first Slam-less year since 2002, he's still playing at a high level as a solid No. 3 in the world.

Here's to you, Roger.
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