Tennis news: Boris Becker - Roger Federer is probably the world's best ever

Updated 18/02/2020 at 16:28 GMT

Boris Becker has claimed that Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all time, if you are only going by statistics.

Federer

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The German tennis legend said of Federer that: "If you ask about the numbers, Roger Federer is the most successful player."

The numbers demonstrate this: he has been the number one player for the longest time in terms of total duration and in the number of consecutive weeks he achieved. He also has contested the highest number of Grand Slam finals (31) and has the most Grand Slam wins (20).

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However, he was reluctant to declare the Swiss the undisputed great, arguing that different eras produced their own best players.

"If you ask about the best of all times, it's difficult because tennis was played in the 70s, 80s and 90s on different surfaces, so you can't always compare with numbers how good a player was," Becker explained.

Djokovic

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Tracy Austin a former American number one player, believes that Serbian Novak Djokovic will ultimately usurp Federer.

Speaking on the Tennis Channel, she said: “At the end of the day I think it’s going to be Novak.

“First of all, he’s not had a lot of wear-and-tear so I think he has another four years.

"Another four solid years where he can win on any surface. When Rafa is still around, Rafa’s still the GOAT on clay but I think the fact Novak has that head-to-head already against Roger and against Rafa. The fact of the matter is this is the young guy who had to breakthrough and every single major that he won, he’s had to play against Roger and Rafa."

"Roger had a kind of staggered start where he got a couple in before the other two got involved in that three-way trifecta. I think that’s been toughest on Novak and at the end of the day I think it’s Novak who’s going to have the most”.

Roger Federer of Switzerland in between points in his quarter final match against Tennys Sandgren of the United States on day nine of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia

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Current player, US star Tennys Sandgren, speaks from personal experience and believes that Djokovic is already the best.

“There is no doubt that Federer is more beautiful to look at, but Novak is the best ever,” he said.

He continued: “We do one thing and he does another. We try to hit a winner, while he places the ball in difficult and irritating areas, where it is impossible to surprise him

“He suffocates you slowly. What he does is just incredible."