Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are widely considered to be the three greatest players in men’s tennis history.
Djokovic is perhaps the greatest: he has won the most Grand Slam singles titles in men’s tennis history [24], and leads Nadal and Federer in almost all major statistical categories.
What does Novak Djokovic need to change to win a 25th Grand Slam title?
However, there is much to be said for the greatness of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – the duo dominated the ATP Tour throughout much of their respective careers.
Federer was almost unbeatable between 2004 and 2007, winning 11 of the 16 Grand Slams available, while Nadal became the greatest clay court player in history, capturing 14 French Open titles.
When discussing Federer in particular, there is another area in which he ranks higher than Djokovic and Nadal.
Sam Querrey says Roger Federer has the ‘biggest impact’ on tennis ahead of Novak Djokovic
Sam Querrey, the former American number one, discussed the greatness of Federer while speaking on the Nothing Major Show.
The American clearly believes that Novak Djokovic is the greatest man to ever step foot on a tennis court.
However, he believes Djokovic’s impact on the sport has been less prominent than Federer’s.
“We always talk about who is the greatest of all time. In my opinion, with the stats, it’s Novak [Djokovic], he’s the greatest tennis player,” Querrey began.
“But when you ask who’s the most beloved, who has the biggest impact, it’s Roger [Federer].
“He was always the guy, it didn’t matter where you played him anywhere in the world, he had the crowd on his side. Even if you were an American playing in America, they’d be on his side.
“I played Federer five times, never beat him, never got more than four games in a set against him.
“The moment always felt bigger playing Roger, you always go out a little more nervous, he made you uncomfortable. That was part of his superpower as well.”
Querrey went on to discuss his first experience of meeting Federer: at the 2007 Australian Open.
“The first time I ever met Roger Federer was in Australia, the first year I played it, in 2007,” Querrey said.
“I was staying at the Crown Casino hotel, which I had no business staying at! I’m 19 years old, I’m in the elevator, and Federer walks in the elevator, I’m starstruck, I don’t know what to do.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
He looks right at me, says ‘Hey Sam, I’m Roger, nice to meet you, welcome to the tour.’
“He was the one that initiated that. I’ll always remember that, because it just shows he’s such a nice guy. Yes he’s a superstar, but he treated everyone the same. That was the first time I ever got to interact with Roger.”
Federer won the 2007 Australian Open title, defeating Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez in the final. It was his 10th Grand Slam title and second consecutive Australian Open triumph.
Sam Querrey is partially correct
When discussing the most beloved player in tennis history, it is hard to argue against Roger Federer.
The Swiss maestro won 19 consecutive ATP Fans’ Favourite awards between 2003 and 2021 and remains one of the most well-respected retired players in tennis history.
However, while Federer’s impact on tennis earlier in his career was undoubtedly greater than Djokovic’s, the Serbian star has become one of the most influential sports figures on the planet in the past few years; a player admired by his contemporaries and fans alike.
It is difficult to judge the overall impact of Djokovic while his career is ongoing. However, if the Serbian star captures a 25th Grand Slam title this year, his impact on the sport may eclipse Federer’s.
It has been suggested that Djokovic will not win another Grand Slam. However, this is unlikely to impact the Serbian star’s motivation heading into the first major of the year in Australia.
