Francisco Cerundolo has now answered the age-old question about who is the best out of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are regularly compared to each other, having competed and dominated as rivals for most of the 21st century.
With that, there is often a debate over who is the best player of ‘The Big Three’, with Bjorn Borg calling Djokovic the greatest of all time.
However, world number 21 Cerundolo has opted for a different player from the three when asked who is his favorite.
Francisco Cerundolo names his favorite player from The Big Three
Cerundolo has played against Djokovic and Nadal, but he never got the chance to play against Federer, who retired from tennis in 2022.
When speaking to Argentinian news outlet Infobae, Cerundolo revealed that his favourite player from the three was actually Federer.
Cerundolo justified his answer by explaining that he preferred Federer to Djokovic and Nadal due to his playing style.
“I liked Federer because of his playing style,” said Cerundolo. “You watch him play and it’s a feast for the eyes. The three of them, along with Nadal and Djokovic, are the best in history, but I think Federer was the one I enjoyed watching the most.”
Cerundolo has played against Djokovic and Nadal both once, losing both matches, including a five set thriller against the former at the French Open last year.
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Francisco Cerundolo says which Big Three player would be the best to train with
Despite Federer being his favorite player to watch from the three, he would not be Cerundolo’s ideal practice partner.
Djokovic is the only player from ‘The Big Three’ who is still competing at 38 years old, and as a result Cerundolo chose him as the ideal practice partner over Federer and Nadal.
“I’m going to choose Djokovic,” said Cerundolo. “I think he’s the physically strongest of them all, the one who’s had the fewest injuries, and he’s extending his tennis career almost like Federer.
“At 38, almost 39, he’s playing against the best in the world like it’s nothing and battling at full speed. So, he must have done something, both physically and in terms of his tennis.
“And from what I hear, he’s always been the most professional about all of that and the most obsessed with food, training, and rest, more than the others. It’s like that’s taken him to another level.”
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Cerundolo could play Djokovic at his first tournament of 2026, as they have both signed up for the Adelaide International ahead of the Australian Open.
The ATP 250 tournament in Adelaide will take place between January 12-17.
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