Despite Massive ‘Weakness’ Claims on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Ex-ATP Pro Argues Why They Stand Out Over Novak Djokovic

The debate about Novak Djokovic being the G.O.A.T. of tennis seems like a never-ending one! On the other hand, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal fans might have different opinions about this. Both tennis legends have created history in their ways and have won the hearts of millions with their exceptional talent. Still can’t decide your favorite, right? Well, the former tennis pro, Mats Wilander, is also experiencing the same dilemma. Wilander, who pointed out Djokovic’s lack of “weakness” on-court, has now sided with the iconic tennis duo Federer-Nadal for their unique tennis skills!

Appearing in the June 28 podcast episode of Andy Zodin’s KickServeRadio.com, the former Swedish tennis pro talked about the upcoming Wimbledon tournament (starting July 1st). While talking about his take on the “role models” in tennis and their techniques on-court, the 59-year-old took the example of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to explain his opinion. “I bet you’ll never see a Spanish guy that is going to be great that has a Rafa Nadal forehand because it’s really hard to hit the ball like that unless your name is Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer from Switzerland.”

Further adding, the former World No. 1 player said, “We all know that’s the way how we all would like to hit the tennis ball. But there are no Swiss players coming up that play like Roger Federer because it’s too complicated. So I think that’s where the role model.” Concluding his statements by saying how hard it is to imitate their styles, Wilander’s praise for Nadal and Federer is quite in contrast to what he said to Eurosport during an interview. 

Novak Djokovic, who is now in London preparing for the upcoming Wimbledon, is almost back on-court after suffering a knee injury in Roland Garros. Talking about how he overcame the challenges and is aiming for his 25th Grand Slam, Wilander was full of praise for the Serbinator. Stating how Novak Djokovic “doesn’t have weaknesses” on any surface, Wilander compared him with Federer and Nadal, stating, “Federer has a weakness. Nadal has weaknesses.” 

While Nadal’s fiery forehand and left-handed playing style have amazed fans for decades, Federer’s one-handed backhand style has also fascinated the tennis world over the years. However, Nadal is known for his supremacy on clay (14 Roland Garros titles among many other clay-court titles) while Federer’s eight Wimbledon titles have created records in tennis and grass-courts. 

Therefore, Wilander, who praised Roger and Nadal for their greatness on-court, could not leave Djokovic from the same list. Like many tennis fans, he cannot choose his favorite and has ended up appreciating the ‘Big 3’ for their combined achievements in tennis. He also stated how the 37-year-old player is going into Wimbledon, not with the aim of winning Grand Slams or the top spot in tennis but for a different reason this time.

Mats Wilander states why Novak Djokovic is coming back to Wimbledon

Participating in only 6 tournaments so far this season, the former World No. 1 has struggled to keep up with the fast-paced tennis environment this year. Novak Djokovic, who has hardly remained titleless in a particular season during his career, is still seeking his first one in 2024. On top of that, his ATP rankings also fell from the first to the second-best player in the ATP Tour. Nevertheless, after struggling with his knee injury, Djokovic is back in London to conquer his dream. However, according to Wilander, he has a different motive this year.

“But that’s the greatness of Novak: he’s not looking at the No. 1 spot in the world rankings, he’s not looking to win the most Grand Slam titles, he’s looking at the day-to-day situation.” Furthermore, he continued, “I would think that he feels he needs to go to Wimbledon to get into that competitive spirit, to prepare, and to try and get ready to play a match in what most probably is the most important tournament in his career: Wimbledon.”

Much like Wilander, there may be a divide among tennis enthusiasts when it comes to determining who holds the top position in the game. However, one thing is clear, their combined contribution to tennis has entertained fans for decades!