Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, according to former Wimbledon champion Tomas Berdych, will have a smaller impact on tennis than Roger Federer.
Despite the fact that, in terms of Grand Slam victories, he won’t be the greatest player ever.
Federer, 41, announced before the competition that his 24-year tennis career had ended at the Laver Cup a fortnight prior.
However, after battling a knee problem for the better part of three years, his body had told him that it had enough.
With 20 Grand Slam singles titles upon his retirement, the Swiss Maestro ranks third all-time after Nadal (22) and Djokovic (21).
In addition, he held the top spot in the ATP Rankings for 310 weeks, including a record 237 straight weeks.
Despite the fact that he broke countless other records, many people think that the number of majors,
he won places him behind Nadal and Djokovic in the debate for the greatest of all time (GOAT).
Since Federer inaugurated tennis’ golden era, the trio has reigned over the game for the last three decades.
Prior to Nadal joining him on the front stage, Djokovic finally rounded off the dangerous Big Three.
Both Nadal (36) and Djokovic (35) are anticipated to continue competing on the ATP Tour for a few more years and add to their Grand Slam totals,
the latter having as many as 25 majors, according to numerous pundits.
In addition, Djokovic now has 373 weeks as the world’s top player, surpassing Federer’s previous mark of 310 weeks.
He also has the best head-to-head record versus both Federer and Nadal.
The 2010 Wimbledon runner-up to Nadal, Berdych, gave his reasoning for why,
in his eyes, Federer is “better” than the other two Big Three players in terms of the big picture.
“Those who want to compare the best by numbers will find arguments for different options. The number of Grand Slams may be the most objective measure, but there are athletes who have left a great mark,”
He told the Czech news outlet iDnes.
“I think Roger will leave a bigger mark than Djokovic. I think he is a bigger icon than Nadal. Perhaps, because he started this great era. What he did for tennis cannot be surpassed by any result.”
He added:
“A lot of people watched matches or started playing because of his ability. That is what makes it superior to others.
Although, of course, I can understand if a fan finds something special in Nadal, Djokovic or other players.”
Having faced Federer 26 times, Berdych had a 6-20 head-to-head record against the Swiss,
between the time he turned pro in 2002 and his retirement in 2019.
The Czech also had nothing but admiration for Federer’s conduct away from the court.
Roger acted with kindness and charm. If you met him in the dressing room or somewhere else backstage, you wouldn’t know what he is,”
he said.
“On the contrary, he had moments when he acted like a boy and did stupid things.”
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