‘One we most want to watch play’ of Federer, Djokovic, Nadal named by former rival
Roger Federer is the ‘Big Three’ member that fans “want to watch” play the most, according to former ATP Tour star Richard Gasquet.
Alongside Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, Federer was part of an astonishing era in which all three greats combined to produce an unprecedented level of dominance.
The ‘Big Three’ combined to win a staggering 66 Grand Slam singles titles, with Djokovic leading the way with 24 titles at Grand Slam level.
Nadal won 22 major titles, most famously triumphing 14 times at Roland Garros, while Federer won 20 majors before his retirement in 2022.
The Swiss was the dominant force in the men’s game in the mid-2000s and was beloved by many tennis fans due to his style of play.
French ATP Tour star Gasquet, who retired at the French Open last month, knows all too well about the challenge of facing all three greats.
The Frenchman had a 1-13 record against Djokovic and a 2-19 record against Federer, while he never beat close friend Nadal across 18 career meetings.
However, speaking on the Super Moscato Show this week, the 39-year-old boldly claimed that Federer was the most watchable of the three.
And, he also claimed that Carlos Alcaraz was the only current player close to matching the Swiss’ style.
“All three are extraordinary, but Federer is the one we most want to watch play,” said Gasquet.
“Even today, when you see videos of all three, on the technical side, the equal, it’s him. It’s tennis in its purest form.
“If there’s a Federer on the tour right now? Maybe Alcaraz a little bit, even if he doesn’t have the one-handed backhand that Federer had, that kind of thing, but he’s still an incredible player too.”
Gasquet’s comments come just weeks after the end of his career, with the Frenchman’s final career match coming against current world No 1 Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros.
ATP Tour News
Jannik Sinner makes telling No 1 confession as his coach reveals what he told him after French Open
Carlos Alcaraz admits messages ‘can scare you’ as he discusses social media abuse
The 39-year-old reached a career-high of world No 7 in the ATP Tour Rankings and won 16 ATP Tour titles, alongside reaching three Grand Slam singles finals.
Gasquet won an impressive 610 ATP Tour matches across his career and also reached a further 17 finals, cementing his place as one of the leading stars of his era.
He was part of a strong generation of French tennis, competing alongside the likes of Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Gilles Simon.
However, it has been 42 years since a Frenchman won a Grand Slam singles titles, with the likes of Gasquet and his contemporaries denied by the ‘Big Three’.
Read Next: Queen’s or Halle? What Alcaraz and Sinner’s warm-up tournaments say about Wimbledon chances
