Roger Federer’s mark on the sport is greater than that of Novak Djokovic and he is more iconic than Rafael Nadal, according to a former rival of the record-breaking trio.
Thomas Berdych has heaped praise on the Swiss Maestro who recently retired from tennis after playing on the Tour for 24 years. Bringing an end to one of the most successful tennis careers in history. However, Federer’s Grand Slam trophy tally of 20 is less than that of Djokovic (21) and Nadal (22). The debate concerning who should be regarded as the greatest of all time continues with each player having strong arguments as to why they should receive the honour.
Weighing in on the debate, former Wimbledon finalist Berdych said during a recent interview with Idnes that he believed Federer is ‘superior’ when it comes to looking at the bigger picture. The two locked horns on the Tour 26 times with Berdych being successful on just six occasions. Their last meeting was at the 2018 Australian Open which was a year before the Czech retired.
“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,” Tennis 365 quoted Berdych as telling iDnes.cz.
“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.”
The 37-year-old continued his argument by saying Federer’s tennis skills helped attract a surge of interest in the sport during his career.
“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.” He said.
Berdych also played the other two members of the Big Three regularly throughout his career. His only Grand Slam final was against Nadal who he has a negative 4-20 head-to-head record against. As for Djokovic, he won just three out of their 28 meetings.
Nevertheless, it is Federer who gets Berdych’s backing in the GOAT debate. It wasn’t just his on-court performance that impressed Berdych, he was also how he conducted himself off-court.
“Roger behaved humanely and pleasantly. 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.”
Berdych is one of only a few players who have managed to beat every member of the Big Three at least once at a Grand Slam.
