In the pantheon of tennis greatness, a select few have achieved the ultimate recognition- an Olympic gold medal! It’s a rarefied club where Novak Djokovic has finally made his place after winning the singles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But instead of celebrating this huge achievement of the Serbian player, a usual yet unwelcomed comparison between Djokovic and Roger Federer has surfaced on the Internet. This has created a division of opinions among fans, who have strongly protested on X!

On August 4, Djokovic fulfilled his Olympic dream of bringing a gold medal to his country, Serbia. A masterclass performance against his Wimbledon rival, Carlos Alcaraz, made it happen for the 24 Grand Slam champion! In doing so, he has joined Rafael Nadal (in the 2008 Beijing Olympics) and Andy Murray, (2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics) the two titans of the “Big 4” who have already achieved the same feat. However, there’s one notable absentee from this elite group: Federer.

Despite his impressive resume which boasts 20 Grand Slams and 103 singles titles, the former World No. 1’s lack of an Olympic gold medal has always been a subtle asterisk on his otherwise glittering career. While many point it out in a hushed voice, some have done quite the opposite. A recent post on X by ‘Olly’ whose bio says that the account id “UK’s 2nd most followed tennis media or blogger,” created waves on the internet. 

Captioned “clap if you’ve one singles gold at the Olympics,” it was a picture of the Big Four from their old days, where everyone except Federer was seen clapping.

While the 42-year-old former tennis player has consistently dominated the sport by being at the top for 310 weeks, he could not manage to win a singles gold and has remained as a silver medalist (2012 London Olympics) throughout his two-decade long career. However, in doubles, he earned a gold medal along with Stan Wawrinka in 2008 Beijing Olympics, but a void in singles irked him and his fans alike. The post became a point of conflict among fans, who voiced their candid remarks below the post.

Fans react to the “disrespectful” comment against Federer

One fan who, as his comment read, loves following updates from this particular X handle, was disappointed in the recent post. His comment read, “This is pretty disrespectful. Normally love your posts. Not this one”. Another devoted fan of the Swiss Maestro wrote, “Fed slander is not tolerated,” with an angry emoji.

However, it seems quite difficult for people to overlook the fact that Djokovic, who reigned at the top for 428 weeks and has earned 24 Grand Slam (four more than Federer) has indeed surpassed Federer in certain terms of his career statistics. Referred to as an outsider, Djokovic had to break through the duo Nadal and Federer to prove himself. While he did that at 20 years of age (when he won his first Australian Open tournament), comparisons have never ceased to exist, sometimes offending their fans.

Another fan wrote, “Have some respect for the most important player in tennis history who has played the biggest role in popularizing the sport as it is today – Roger Federer.” It is certainly true! Imagine a tennis being a sport which has never experienced a Federer vs Nadal clash! Although Federer has only won 16 times against the Spaniard, it was not the result that we focus on but the sheer excitement of a tightly fought match between the duo. Moreover, who can forget his record of winning eight Wimbledon titles? Probably no one!

Posting a picture of his doubles Olympic gold medal adventure, one fan wrote, “There’s the gold! Now you must apologize to the legend. Don’t pick on him! 🥇.” Interestingly, it was not only at the Olympics that he made his country, Switzerland, proud, along with Wawrinka. In 2014, the duo led the Davis Cup team to their first title in 2014 too!

“Don’t clap if you are greatest tennis player of all time,” stated another fan. The eternal debate of who the G.O.A.T. of tennis is will not end anytime soon. And we know it quite well. While some prefer Djokovic, who is overcoming all his injuries and challenges to keep on shining in the sport, others prefer Federer’s versatility and consider him the deserving candidate for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, which he won five times!

The owner of the original post later clarified, “I love Federer btw… It’s a thing called a *joke*”. But by then, the damage was already done and fans made it sure to protect their favorite player, Roger Federer!