Roger Federer has Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic closing in on his Grand Slam record.When all is said and done, Novak Djokovic will be regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time with the most Grand Slam titles. That is according to Eurosport presenter and
former player Barbara Schett.
The tennis season is currently suspended due to the global coronavirus crisis which there is a temporary pause on the battle in men’s tennis for the all-time Grand Slam record.
Roger Federer currently leads the list with 20 titles to his name, the last of which came in 2018 at the Australian Open.
Since then Rafael Nadal and Djokovic have significantly closed the gap as they shared the last eight majors.
Nadal is just one behind Federer while Djokovic sits on 17 after winning the Australian Open in January.
The argument over who is the ‘GOAT’ will be heavily influenced by the player who finishes with the most Grand Slams.
Following the cancellation of Wimbledon, Federer has lost out on arguably his best chance of adding to his haul this year.
And speaking in an interview with Eurosport prior to Wimbledon being called off, Schett stated the case against Federer whilst backing Djokovic.
“It’s so hard to say because they are all still playing,” she said.
“Roger has won the most Grand Slam titles at the moment and that’s why we choose him now, but certainly Rafa and Novak could overtake him. “We’ll see how Roger recovers from the knee surgery he had.
“It’s getting harder and harder for him to win Grand Slams and I’m not sure he’ll get as close again as he did at Wimbledon last year, especially as there is every chance Wimbledon won’t take place this year.
“He’s not getting any younger – for now, Roger is the greatest of all time, but I think Novak Djokovic will eventually get him.”
Schett’s doubts about Federer were echoed by former Australian doubles player Todd Woodbridge.
He told the Australian Associated Press it is “highly unlikely” Federer will win another Grand Slam after the break.
“The question that Roger will have to ask himself is how motivated is he to come back for another year?” Woodbridge said. “Or has this actually helped him?
“But the less match play that you get in this period at that age, it’s so much harder to come back and recover once you start again.
“So I really think that post-2020 will be a new era of people trying to create records because it’ll have really have broken up a great period in tennis.
“It has stopped the potential, I think, of Federer winning one or two more. It becomes very highly unlikely for him.”
