How do you define "greatness" in tennis?

First topic message reminder :

Do you define greatness by the number of titles? If so, Federer is the greatest.

Longevity?

Ability to win on all surfaces?

Winning ruthlessly in straight sets?

Quality of opposition during that era?

Not having bogeymen (if only you didn't face them in the draw, you could win the title)?

Federer - 6 Wimbledon, 5 US Open, 1 French, 4 Australian (only one French and that was when he didn't have to play Nadal)
Sampras - 7 W, 5 US, 0 Fr, 2 Aus (never a serious contender at the French)
Laver - 4 W, 2 US, 3 Fr, 2 Aus (two real grandslams; no man managed even one since)
Emerson - 2 W, 2 US, 2 Fr, 6 Aus (half of the titles were at the least-recognised Aus Open)
Nadal - 2 W, 1 US, 6 Fr, 1 Aus (6/10 titles French)
Borg - 5 W, 4 US, 6 Fr, 0 Aus (best winning percentage in majors entered; tough competition with Connors, MacEnroe, Lendl, and Vilas)
Connors - 2 W, 5 US, 4 Fr, 1 Aus (tough competition with Borg, MacEnroe, Lendl, and Vilas)

yeah Leff, thanks for putting me right on that - still can't believe I erred on that one! Connors, never a Wimbledon champ! Uugh...thanks for picking me up...

Generally - interesting to see what "perspectives" some people put, as part of "greatness." Things I would never have thought of - don't necessarily agree with all of them, but that's one of the things that I do like about this - getting some points of view, opinions that are sometimes different from the "status quo."

yloponom68 wrote: Generally - interesting to see what "perspectives" some people put, as part of "greatness." Things I would never have thought of - don't necessarily agree with all of them, but that's one of the things that I do like about this - getting some points of view, opinions that are sometimes different from the "status quo."

I am not a strongly opinionated person myself. My objective was to keep this an open topic and learn various perspectives. I now know a bit more about various perceptions of what is often called greatness.

This is a good forum, at least the tennis section.
JA606 wasn't quite as interesting.