Serena Williams is, undoubtedly, one of the greatest tennis players, male or female, of all time. With 23 Grand Slams to her name and four Olympic gold medals (three in doubles), the retired star wrote her name in history. While she has hailed Steffi Graf as one of the best players ever, when it comes to the men’s side, she has a clear favorite between Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Back in 2021 in a press conference during the Emilia-Romagna Open in Parma, the younger Williams sister was asked to weigh in on the GOAT debate (via Forbes). “I think two words sum it up: Roger Federer,” Williams said of the Swiss Maestro.
“He’s just a synopsis of greatness and class and amazing and really changed the game. You see players playing like him, moving like him, doing his techniques. The guy is (a) genius,” she described Federer, while admitting that she was a “superfan” of the Swiss, who retired in 2022.
“I just feel like he is really the greatest player,” Williams, who also retired in 2022, said. “You can’t not like the guy, that’s how I feel. His game is so fantastic. If I could only play like him,” she added at the time.
Since then, Novak Djokovic has emerged as the male player with the most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era, with 24, tying Margaret Court and having the opportunity to become the player with the most majors overall this year. However, given Williams and Federer’s long-time friendship, her choice is quite expected.