20-time grand slam champion Roger Federer might be regarded by some as the greatest player of all time, but for him it is a player on the women’s tour that deserves the accolade.
The 36-year-old has been called GOAT (greatest of all time) for his achievements in the sport. To date, he has won a total of 97 ATP titles and is the oldest man in history to ever hold the number one ranking. Furthermore, he has won 1149 matches on the tour. Joining the likes of Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl as the players who has achieved 1000 or more wins on the ATP tour.
Federer spoke about the greatest ever debate during an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Naming Serena Williams as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, player of all time. Williams has won 23 grand slam titles so far in her career and has spent 319 weeks as world No.1. The third longest period in the history of the WTA rankings.
“It’s been fascinating to watch. She had a totally different upbringing—I came up through Switzerland with the federation, she did it with her dad and her sister. It’s an amazing story unto itself—and then she became one of the greatest, if not the greatest tennis player of all time.” Federer said.
When questioned if he meant that the American was the GOAT of the women’s tour or the sport in general, Federer insisted ‘overall.’ Williams’ career earnings in prize money currently stands at $84,525,911. This is the highest ever amount achieved on the women’s tour and is more than double that of second place Venus Williams.
Trying to pinpoint one player as the greatest ever is a difficult task, according to Federer. Instead, he believes that there is a group of players that deserves the recognition. A group that he believes he is ‘probably’ a member of.
“It’s not fair to compare, actually,” Federer commented about comparing the different generations of players.
“But we know [Serena] is all the way up there. I’m probably up there with somebody, somehow. Maybe there’s a group, a best of five—and if you’re in that group, you should be pleased and happy. Tennis is a funky sport when it comes to that stuff.”
Besides his tribute to Williams, the former world No.1 also spoke about his longevity in the sport. Federer is the second oldest player in the top 100 after 39-year-old Ivo Karlovic. Retirement is currently nowhere is sight, but should it come to a disappointing ending. Federer is at peace with it.
“I’ve long given up that it needs to end in a fairy tale,” he says. “I don’t need to be ranked [No1] or need it to be after a big title. If it happens that way, that’s amazing. But you can’t control it all. You have to put yourself out there, be vulnerable. I play because I love tennis, not because it needs to end [perfectly].”
Federer will miss next week’s French Open. He will return to action next month at the Stuttgart Open in Germany.
