Again, I would not worry about SI or ESPN much. Their agenda is obvious, so why get upset?
As I've stated before, ESPN, with the play of Woods, has convinced americans, and americans only, that golf is a major sport equal to football, baseball, and basketball, when in reality golf is a totally minor sport that is significantly less competitive than track or swimming, let alone tennis, ice hockey, soccer, or rugby. Most nations do not even play any golf at all.
Tennis is definitely a much bigger sport than golf, and everybody outside the US already knows that. They respect Federer a lot.