Former American tennis star and coach to Roger Federer, Paul Annacone, has given his verdict on whether the Swiss legend is the greatest player of all time.
Federer has been usurped by both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on the list of most Grand Slam titles won by a male player, but the 43-year-old standing in the sport still has many preferring him to his peers.
Annacone is one of the most revered coaches in tennis, having also worked with Pete Sampras and Sloane Stephens. His opinions hold plenty of weight, but he does not believe that Federer has done enough to hold off Nadal and Djokovic.
Annacone, 61, explained how Djokovic instead stood at the top of the list because of his head-to-head record with Federer and Nadal – in addition to the Serb’s longevity.
“Number three, the great Roger Federer. He was something spectacular, he was Picasso with a tennis racket,” Annacone said on the Tennis Channel Live podcast.
“Number, the great Rafael Nadal. At number one, for the same reason as Jim Courier, just look at the H2Hs. This guy (Djokovic) has just been a little bit better than the other two for a longer period.”
While Federer and Nadal dealt with injury concerns in the twilight of their careers, spending their final few seasons often sidelined, Djokovic has barely dipped in form.
He did not win a Major title in 2024, the first time he failed to do so since 2017, but he did pick up the only accolade in tennis that had been eluding him – an Olympic gold medal for Serbia.
The 37-year-old has teamed up with Andy Murray for the Australian Open, as he attempts to oust the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne for a record 11th crown down under.
And few would back against the veteran with Murray by his side as a new coach
Annacone is not the only one who backed Djokovic over Federer and Nadal, as he was speaking with Courier, who similarly felt that Djokovic had the edge over his recently-retired peers.
“Roger Federer, believe it or not, is my number three,” the American explained. “I would’ve thought 10 years ago Federer was unequivocally the very best and then along comes this guy, at number two, the man we’re celebrating today Rafael Nadal and he unlocked the key to getting inside Federer’s game.
“And then this guy at number one would end up tracking them down. A lot of comes down to me to head-to-head records as well. I think if you look at it Djokovic is slightly better against these guys.