Roger Federer has been named the greatest of all-time by Richard Gasquet ahead of Novak Djokovic. Roger Federer has been named the greatest of all-time by Richard Gasquet ahead of Novak Djokovic.
Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all-time ahead of Novak Djokovic, according to Richard Gasquet. The Swiss exited Wimbledon at the quarter-final stage while his rival went on to win the tournament and capture his 20th Grand Slam title.
It puts Djokovic level with both Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 as the chance to win a calendar Grand Slam is still very much on.
Despite the numbers being posted by the Serbian, French veteran Gasquet believes nobody can compare to Federer.
He believes it isn’t all about the number of wins but the way in which the game is played as well.
“I see tennis differently, I’ve always said that for me it’s not just the number of Grand Slam titles that matters,” Gasquet said.
“One at 21, the other at 22 or 23. I don’t just see the Grand Slam winner, I look at the aesthetics, what you give off on the court.
“I often hear the race to the highest, it is a pointless subject. For me, Roger Federer is irreplaceable, he’s the greatest player of all time when I see the aesthetics, the grace he has on the court.
“I watch tennis for that (the beauty), although Novak Djokovic is definitely the best and an amazing player.
“Winning three Grand Slams in a row is incredible. I’m not into the pro-Federer or pro-Djokovic thing.
“There are some who like Federer and don’t like Djokovic at all, that’s not my case at all; I like Djokovic a lot.
“It’s just that when I watch Federer, I’ve been in awe from start to finish forever. In sports, I watch Messi, Neymar, I see the aesthetics and the extraordinary sensations they provide.
“Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are the three best players in history, without a doubt.
“Afterwards, it’s always complicated to compare the generations. They have 20 Grand Slams each and physically have never fallen for twenty years, it is stupendous.”
Federer announced he would not be taking part in the Tokyo Olympics yesterday as speculation over his future continues.
At 39 the Swiss is in the twilight of his career with the next generation of stars emerging.
For now, Djokovic remains the dominant force on the planet though and will look to add a gold medal as well as the US Open to his trophy haul to cap an incredible year.
