Mike Tyson Once Picked Roger Federer in GOAT Debate but Named ‘A True Fighter’ as His Favorite Tennis Player

Boxing legend Mike Tyson has been a fan of tennis for a long time. The former heavyweight champion is often spotted at tennis events and closely follows the sport. Moreover, he even has a personal affection for the sport as his daughter Milan wants to compete as a professional tennis player one day.

Although the brutality of boxing is the polar opposite of tennis, Iron Mike has grown to love the sport and its players. This includes tennis ace Roger Federer, who Tyson regards as the greatest tennis player of all time.

Mike Tyson praises Roger Federer

In an interview with Blick back in 2018, Tyson praised the 20-time Grand Slam winner and touted him as the best to ever do it. “It’s fantastic that he plays at this level at this age! His record at the beginning of the year was impressive. Unfortunately, he lost two matches in Indian Wells and Miami. And now he has stopped (for the clay season). A good decision, I think. He can afford it. He is the greatest of all time.” said Tyson.

However, despite the high praise for the Swiss legend, Tyson does not consider him to be his favorite player. In the interview, he stated that 21-time Grand Slam winner and one of Federer’s fiercest rivals Novak Djokovic was his favorite player. He claimed the Serbian was his favorite because he bounced back from injury to defeat the likes of Federer and Rafael Nadal. “Novak Djokovic is my favorite at the moment. If he is okay, I really like to watch him. He is my favorite because the way he has come back from injury and beaten guys like Nadal and Federer is amazing. He is a true fighter,” he added.

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Tyson has admitted that tennis changed his life after his daughter picked up the sport. Moreover, he thinks that there is nothing more important in the world than his daughter becoming a professional player in the future.

The time Tyson’s daughter met Serena Williams

Milan Tyson got the opportunity to meet one of her idols back in 2016, after she met Serena Williams. However, she was just 8 years old at the time and was not able to gain a lot of knowledge from the 23-time Grand Slam winner. She would then eventually get to train with Patrick Mouratoglou, former coach of the Williams sisters.

Tyson has a lot of confidence in his daughter to make a career in tennis. Moreover, he also has the means to provide the best possible coaching for his daughter, who might just be the next Serena Williams.

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Who would you pick between Federer and Djokovic? Let us know in the comments.