'I would compare it to Michael Jordan's impact': Stefanos Tsitsipas names GOAT player in men's tennis

Stefanos Tsitsipas has weighed in on the debate surrounding who is the Greatest Player of All Time (GOAT) in men’s tennis. The 26-year-old recently visited the academy run by his former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.

In a video shared on the official Instagram page of Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, Tsitsipas discussed who he considers the greatest player in men's tennis. Tsitsipas named the former world number one, Roger Federer, as a GOAT player, primarily because of the ‘impact’ he had on sports. Tsitsipas also revealed how special it was to share the court with Federer and described that experience as 'majestic'.

"My GOAT is Roger Federer," he said. "Obviously, he's not the player with the most Grand Slam titles, but that doesn't matter to me. For me, what matters is the impact he's had on the world of tennis, and not just the world of tennis, but on world sport. I would compare it to Michael Jordan's impact, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to share the tennis court with him. It was probably the most majestic experiences of my life. Getting out to step on the court and play against him, I suddenly felt alive, even though he kicked my a** a few times."

Federer retired from the sport back in 2022 after struggling with fitness problems towards the latter stages of his career. Despite that, he finished with 20 Grand Slam titles, currently the third-most in men’s tennis, behind only Novak Djokovic (24) and Rafael Nadal (22). His last major title was the Australian Open in 2018, where he defeated Croatia’s Marin Cilic in the final with a score of 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 6–3, 3–6, 6–1. One of the most impressive statistics about Federer’s phenomenal record on the court is that he remained the world number one for 237 consecutive weeks. No other player has managed to stay number one in the ATP rankings for more than 160 weeks in the Open era.