'Nothing Changes, Federer Is the Greatest': Says Former Roland Garros Champion Panatta

'Nothing Changes, Federer Is the Greatest': Says Former Roland Garros Champion Panatta

by Sebastian Dahlman

Former Roland Garros champion Adriano Panatta is not changing his stance that Roger Federer is the greatest player of all time.

Former Roland Garros champion Adriano Panatta had a really fair tennis career having won multiple trophies including one Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic has now 23 of those trophies, after winning the 2023 Roland Garros which became his 3rd overall French Open trophy.

Panatta has one of those as well but even if Djokovic did all of that, the Italian is not shifting his belief that Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all time. He's certainly not the only one who thinks that way but the Italian is quite vocal about his belief. He explained his stance in a recent interview with Corriere della Serra.

For me, nothing changes – Roger Federer is the greatest. It’s not just a matter of aesthetics. And not even of statistics, which they like so much but leave the time they find. Let me explain better – in the few years that he has played, Borg has concentrated more Grand Slam victories than Djokovic, Nadal and Federer combined.

Panatta is right. There have been spectacular players in the past and comparing generations like that is impossible because everything from the style to the way tennis is played changed. He himself is one of the few people to beat Borg at Roland Garros.

Beating a man who has a 49-2 record at the French Open is certainly impressive but for him, comparisons don't mean much in the end.

Let’s do this – they’re all great. There is no greatest. Each dominates the historical period of his. Comparisons don’t make too much sense, they’re just journalistic whims: rackets, courts, balls, the way of being on the court and playing tennis change. [Everything] changes.

Panatta arrives at a compromise

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