Federer - the number one sportsman in the world

His retiring personality means he would never be bold enough to be so boastful but, thankfully, he doesn't have to. There are plenty of respected commentators willing to do it for him.

Last month, Federer beat the likes of Lance Armstrong, Michael Schumacher, Michael Phelps, Hicham El Guerrouj and Valentino Rossi to be named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

And this month, in the run-up to Wimbledon, the great and good of the tennis world have been queuing up to shower the 23-year-old with praise.

"There's probably not a department in Federer's game that he couldn't be considered the best at," claimed Andre Agassi, who will be saved further embarrassment at the hands of the reigning champion this week as he recovers from injury. "The guy plays from the back of the court and the front."

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker was equally effusive in his praise of a player who has won 14 matches in a row at SW19 since losing to Croatian Mario Ancic in 2002.

"Federer is a very special player," said Becker. "He's a rare bird. I'd almost call him a genius, the way he plays, the way he wins matches.

"He's a pure talent who plays tennis the way it ought to be played. He should get much more credit than he gets. But people are realising he is an amazing player."

Even Federer is starting to throw off his self-affacing shroud in order to bask in his own glory.

Winning three Grand Slams last year underlined the quality of his all-round game and enabled him to feel more comfortable with his lofty status.

"I think the consistency I have shown over the last two years really has proven to everybody, also especially to myself, that I can do it," he said. "The important moments, like in finals and against the other top-ten players, are when I actually play my best. That's what usually the all-time greats do."

Greats like Pete Sampras, whose record of five successive Wimbledon wins is already within Federer's sights.

The Swiss star has won the last two tournaments staged at the All England club, and is a short-priced favourite to add a third title over the next 14 days.

This month's Roland Garros semi-final defeat to Spanish prodigy Rafael Nadal could have hit him hard. The French Open is the only Grand Slam to have eluded him in the past and, at the start of the season, he made completing the set a priority.

But, rather than launching into a spell of soul-searching, Federer duly extended his remarkable run on grass by winning in Halle, Germany, for the third year in a row.

His game looked to be in as good a shape as ever and, crucially, his mental strength did not appear to have been dented.

"I feel confident about winning Wimbledon," he said, after beating Russian Marat Safin in the final. "There can always be a shock loss in the first round, but I don't really think about it.

"I was more concerned about that last year when I was defending my Wimbledon title for the first time. Now it's easier for me to deal with the situation."

The first round should not present any problems - Federer has been paired with little-known Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu - but there are plenty of threats lying in wait once the tournament enters a second week.

Andy Roddick, fresh from yet another success at Queen's, props up the other end of the draw, while the likes of Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt, Safin and lively outsider Mario Ancic should all be prominent in the latter rounds.

"I regard Hewitt, Roddick, Safin and now Nadal as the big dangers at Wimbledon," said Federer.

He has also included the name of Tim Henman in that list despite the British number one enduring a tortuous 2005 so far and looking strangely out of sorts as he lost to Thomas Johansson at Queen's.

He remains the best volleyer in the world, but his serve continues to lack penetration and, at the age of 30, his appetite appears to be on the wane.

'Henman Hill' will continue to be a kaleidoscope of red, white and blue, but, after throwing all of their eggs into one basket for what seems like an eternity, British fans could have a new hero to cheer this year.

Andrew Murray remains young and raw but, if his ankle holds up, he has the ability to record the three victories he would need to set up a mouth-watering clash with fellow teenager Nadal.

The women's tournament looks more open, although Justine Henin-Hardenne will start as a worthy favourite following her success in the French Open.

The Belgian is only the number seven seed after missing most of last season with a debilitating viral infection, but her record of two semi-final appearances and a final defeat in the last four years underlines her grass-court pedigree.

Reigning champion Maria Sharapova and American Serena Williams will hope to use the next fortnight to prove they have put forehands back above fashion in their list of priorities, while number one seed Lindsay Davenport is gunning for her second title.

Henin-Hardenne's stiffest competition could come from her compatriot though, with Kim Clijsters back to her best.