by Roger Federer is the greatest of all time and is the tennis equivalent of NBA legend Michael Jordan, according to Frances Tiafoe.
Federer retired in September this year after one of the most successful careers in tennis history, having won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2003.
Playing in one of the most competitive eras of men’s tennis ever alongside Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, Federer won 20 Grand Slam titles before retiring at the age of 41.
Tiafoe, ranked 19 in the world, is a huge fan of the NBA and has found a basketball parallel for Federer in the form of Jordan, who won six NBA championships in the 1990s and five MVP awards.
When asked which NBA player he would compare Federer with, Tiafoe told The Old man and the Three podcast, “I’d say MJ.
“You think about MJ and you think that brother was crazy and you think about Federer…everything they’ve done, you’re in awe every time you look at them.”
When asked if the Jordan comparison meant he saw Federer as the greatest tennis player ever, Tiafoe replied: “Oh absolutely. Even though Rafa [Nadal] it has more tournaments than the Grand Slam”.
Federer once held the record for most Grand Slams among male players but has now been surpassed by both Djokovic and Nadal, the latter of whom leads with 22 titles.
Tiafoe outlasted Nadal in the fourth round of this year’s US Open and compared the Spaniard’s mentality to that of the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I’d give Giannis, just for how he approaches the game and the effort he brings every night,” added Tiafoe.
“Just because Giannis comes to kill you every night. He will kill you and Rafa has that attitude too.
“Super nice guy, but as soon as we go out you can feel that aura and it’s the same with Giannis.”
Djokovic’s run for Nadal to the top of the Grand Slam rankings was hampered in 2022 by his vaccination status, which prevented him from playing either the Australian Open or the US Open, the former of which the Majorcan won.
However, Djokovic has collected his seventh Wimbledon crown and will be able to resume chasing Nadal at the upcoming Australian Open in January after obtaining a visa.
Tiafoe compared the 35-year-old to Denver Nuggets star and fellow Serbian Nikola Jokic, who is the reigning NBA MVP having won the prestigious award two consecutive seasons.
“You’re watching it [Jokic] you play and like how, but you’re also just in awe of its greatness,” added Tiafoe. Like what can’t this guy do on a basketball court?
“This guy [is] a monster. It doesn’t look your most traditional way or how you want it to look or anything.
“Same with Novak. It’s not like the best game ever, but these guys just do it.”
