Federer: 'Djokovic could have been the GOAT'

According to legend Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic is most likely the greatest tennis player of all time with a record 23 Grand Slam titles, but Rafael Nadal has not yet been ruled out.

Federer recently returned to the Halle Open, where he has won 10 times. The Swiss player was introduced on the court by the organizers to the tune of "Simply The Best," and then answered a series of questions about tennis.

When asked about the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) status in tennis, Federer didn't name himself. He said: "Djokovic has 23 Grand Slams and that might be enough to be the GOAT. But as long as Nadal is still playing, that's not a definitive conclusion."

Djokovic has the most major titles among the "Big 3". Photo: ATP

Djokovic now holds the record for 23 Grand Slam titles after winning Roland Garros on June 11th. The Serbian player has one more title than Rafael Nadal, while the "King of Clay" will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to injury and may retire in 2024.

Federer also stated that Djokovic winning Roland Garros at age 36 cannot be compared to Boris Becker winning Wimbledon at age 17. Federer himself won the Australian Open at age 37 in 2019.

"I don't miss tennis anymore," Federer said about his experience nearly a year after retiring. "I take care of my family in a different way because I have so much time now. I go skiing with the kids, do housework. I only check the results of tennis tournaments every three or four days."

Besides his family, Federer is busy with business and charitable projects. He recently returned from South Africa after a charity trip to build schools for children. The 41-year-old legend revealed that his knee injury has not yet healed, preventing him from playing exhibition matches despite receiving many invitations.

"I still train four or five times a week," Federer added. "If my body allows, I'd like to play a few exhibition matches. I'm not ready to be a commentator or anything like that. Maybe I'll never do that job."

Vy Anh

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/federer-djokovic-co-the-da-la-goat-4620412.html