Roger Federer is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
But his ranking among the all-time greats is disputed.
While some believe the Swiss legend is the best-ever, or the G.O.A.T., others rank him below his biggest rivals, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
You can bring one tennis legend out of retirement. Who do you pick and why?
During the latest episode of ‘Hard Court‘, former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov suggested why he doesn’t believe Federer is the greatest player of all time.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov says ‘the numbers don’t lie’ in the G.O.A.T. debate
“To be honest, everyone has already forgotten about [Roger] Federer,” said Kafelnikov (translated from Russian).
“This is my personal opinion.
“With his 20 Grand Slams. Objectively speaking, [Rafael] Nadal has 22, Novak [Djokovic] has 24.
“For some, Federer will be the greatest tennis player in history, but the numbers don’t lie.
“We measure by the number of tournaments and titles.
“There, Novak Djokovic has an absolute advantage.”
Djokovic leads Federer and Nadal in almost all relevant categories.
Grand Slam titles
- 1. Novak Djokovic – 24
- 2. Rafael Nadal – 22
- 3. Roger Federer – 20
Weeks at number one
- 1. Novak Djokovic – 428
- 2. Roger Federer – 310
- 3. Rafael Nadal – 209
ATP Finals titles
- 1. Novak Djokovic – 7
- 2. Roger Federer – 6
- 3. Rafael Nadal – 0
Masters 1000 titles
- 1. Novak Djokovic – 40
- 2. Rafael Nadal – 36
- 3. Roger Federer – 28
ATP titles
- 1. Roger Federer – 103
- 2. Novak Djokovic – 101
- 3. Rafael Nadal – 92
Davis Cup titles
- 1. Rafael Nadal – 5
- T-2. Novak Djokovic – 1
- T-2. Roger Federer – 1
Olympic titles (Singles)
- T-1. Rafael Nadal – 1
- T-1. Novak Djokovic – 1
- 3. Roger Federer – 0
It’s only in ATP titles (103-101) that Federer leads Djokovic.
Looking at those numbers, it’s hard to put forward a compelling argument for Federer being the greatest tennis player of all time…
Why do some fans think Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player ever?
While the numbers don’t work in Federer’s favor, there’s a reason why those who watched him rate the Swiss star so highly.
The way Federer played tennis was special, from his one-handed backhand to his demeanour on the court.
Players are often described as ‘powerful’ or ‘athletic’, but with Federer, the word ‘graceful’ was more commonly used.
He was an artist on the court, entertaining a generation of tennis fans.
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Even though Kafelnikov doesn’t rate him as the greatest of all time, he still respects Federer.
After all, he witnessed his talent firsthand.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Roger Federer’s head-to-head record
Kafelnikov and Federer met six times on the ATP Tour.
The Russian won their head-to-head 4-2, although that doesn’t tell the full story.
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2002 Davis Cup WG – 1R | Roger Federer | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | 7-6, 6-1, 6-1 |
| 2001 Open 13 – SF | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | Roger Federer | 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2001 Milan Indoor – SF | Roger Federer | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 |
| 2000 Stuttgart Masters – 2R | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | Roger Federer | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 2000 Wimbledon – 1R | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | Roger Federer | 7-5, 7-5, 7-6 |
| 1999 Rotterdam Open- QF | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | Roger Federer | 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 |
When Kafelnikov and Federer played their sixth and final match, the Swiss was just 20 years old.
Had they played in Federer’s prime years, it’s hard to imagine the head-to-head would have remained in Kafelnikov’s favor.
Maybe if Kafelnikov had played ‘prime’ Federer, he’d view him on the same level as Djokovic in the G.O.A.T. debate…
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