Boris Becker believes the fact that Roger Federer is not the one with the most Grand Slam titles can never tarnish the Swiss’ legacy.
Federer, 41, is considered the ultimate tennis icon and many believe he has singlehandedly elevated the game to a new level and made tennis more popular.
Federer. who was once the all-time Grand Slam title holder, is now the third on the list – behind Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who both have 22 Grand Slams.
“Maybe the sports ambassador, not just tennis ambassador. The world hasn’t seen anything like that yet. You can take footballers and basketball players and track and field athletes. This total package Roger Federer – and then he also grew up in neutral Switzerland. With Roger, everything is so perfect, almost too good to be true. That will never happen again in tennis and that is also why tennis has become such a global sport. Good luck to the guys who want to take over,” Becker told Eurosport Germany’s tennis podcast ‘Das Gelbe vom Ball’.
Becker acknowledges the greatness of Federer, Nadal & Djokovic
Federer, 41, is retired, while 36-year-old Nadal and 35-year-old Djokovic are still active.
The Big Three will forever be remembered as the golden generation but slowly the time is coming for the game to get new rivalries and champions.
Becker, a former six-time Grand Slam champion, suggests those coming after the Big Three have big shoes to fill in.
“With Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, we have had three idols who have attracted not only tennis fans but sports fans in general. This has made our sport more global and richer. That’s why there is this prize money and advertising investment. That becomes the big challenge for the boys: Not only to win, but also to represent something – and that’s a whole other construction site,” Becker said.
Meanwhile, Federer is enjoying his retirement days.
Since retiring from pro tennis after the Laver Cup, Federer hasn’t made any appearances at tournaments as a guest.
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