Boris Becker shares how Roger Federer reacted when he tried to convince him to play for Germany in tennis

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Roger Federer is the greatest athlete in Swiss sporting history.

The 44-year-old won a breathtaking 20 Grand Slam titles and held the ATP Tour number one ranking for 310 weeks.

Some have argued that Federer deserves to be recognised as the greatest tennis player of all time, although his ‘big three’ rivals, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, may have something to say about that…

Where he ranks in that debate is up for discussion, but Federer’s place as the greatest Swiss tennis player of all time is not.

However, it has now been revealed that Federer could have represented another country if Boris Becker had his way.

Roger Federer declined to represent Germany despite Boris Becker’s best efforts

Appearing as a guest on ‘La Revuelta‘, Becker recalled the time he tried to convince Federer to represent Germany.

“I know him very well, I knew him since he was a little boy,” said Becker.

“He’s from Basel, Switzerland, which is the border of Germany.

“So we wanted him to play for Germany, not for Switzerland.

“I spoke to him a little bit, but it was already stuck in Switzerland and Basel, but we were hoping, because it’s two miles away from the German border. 

“I tried, I tried.”

Becker was then asked whether he tried the same with Spanish legend, Nadal.

“No,” he replied.

“He’s too Spanish!”

The German shared the advice he gave to Toni Nadal about his nephew when he was still a teenager.

“I met him actually when he was about 14, 15, and I met Toni, his uncle. He asked me what I think about a 14-year-old Nadal, because he’s actually right-handed, but plays tennis left, a good idea,” said Becker.

“But for a time, he played two hands on both sides, I told Toni, not a good idea, he’s got to stick to one hand, it worked out.

“I’ve just known him a long time, and I always thought he was very talented.”

Becker clearly had a good eye for talent, even if neither player helped add to Germany’s Grand Slam tally.

Which country has the most men’s singles Grand Slam titles?

Germany ranks below Switzerland and Spain for all-time men’s singles Grand Slam wins, thanks to Nadal and Federer.

It’s unlikely that Becker will see his country jump up the rankings anytime soon, unless their star man, Alexander Zverev, can finally get the job done at a major tournament.

The German 28-year-old is currently 0-3 in Grand Slam finals.

• 2020 US Open F – Alexander Zverev lost to Dominic Thiem
• 2024 French Open F – Alexander Zverev lost to Carlos Alcaraz
• 2025 Australian Open F – Alexander Zverev lost to Jannik Sinner

However, despite his struggles at the Grand Slam level, Zverev remains a top-three player and could well be one to watch out for in 2026.

If he is to win his first Grand Slam in the new year, he’ll likely have to take down either Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, the world number one and two.

The pair have shared the last eight Grand Slam titles, and proved dominant once again in 2025.

• 2024 Australian Open – Jannik Sinner
• 2024 French Open – Carlos Alcaraz
• 2024 Wimbledon – Carlos Alcaraz
• 2024 US Open – Jannik Sinner
• 2025 Australian Open – Jannik Sinner
• 2025 French Open – Carlos Alcaraz
• 2025 Wimbledon – Jannik Sinner
• 2025 US Open – Carlos Alcaraz

Only time will tell if anyone can stop Alcaraz and Sinner next year, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

The 2026 Australian Open is scheduled to begin on Sunday, January 18.