‘Not Fair to Compare’ – When Roger Federer Denied Unanimously Naming Serena Williams as the GOAT

A plethora of tennis fans hail the 23-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams, as the best player in tennis history. People know Williams for her fierce play on the tennis court and for dominating opponents throughout her tennis journey.

Another one of the modern day greats, Roger Federer, has also expressed his admiration for the American tennis icon’s remarkable achievements. However, he once denied naming Serena as the best tennis player in the history of the sport.

Roger Federer once talked about Serena Williams

The 20-time Grand Slam winner, Roger Federer, was once featured in an interview where he talked about Serena Williams. Meanwhile, the question of whether Serena Williams is the greatest tennis player of all time was posed to the Swiss Maestro.

He answered by stating, “It’s been fascinating to watch [Serena]. She had a totally different upbringing—I came up through Switzerland with the federation, she did it with her dad and her sister. It’s an amazing story unto itself—and then she became one of the greatest, if not the greatest tennis player of all time.”

Meanwhile, Federer was pressed about whether he was speaking generally about Williams or specifically about women’s tennis. The Swiss tennis legend said it was the former. However, he quickly changed his opinion as Federer stated, “It’s not fair to compare, actually. But we know [Serena] is all the way up there. I’m probably up there with somebody, somehow.”

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He further added that if any tennis player is among the best players group, then he or she should be “pleased and happy.”

Williams and Federer played their farewell match

The news of Williams and Federer retiring from tennis overwhelmed their fans. Williams and Federer, the two tennis legends, inspired a plethora of athletes and fans to follow the sport. They both graced the court and dominated their respective tours for well over two decades.

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Federer recently played his farewell match at the Laver Cup, as he represented Team Europe. He was playing the doubles event with his friend and rival, Rafael Nadal. Prior to the tournament, Serena also played her farewell match at the US Open. Federer and Williams performed brilliantly in their respective events. However, both tennis greats were defeated in their farewell tournaments. Many tennis stars and popular personalities paid their tributes to Federer and Williams.