Previously I always thought it was just tactical and technique, but every match has become almost mental and physical. I try to push myself to move well. I try to push myself not to get upset and stay positive, and that's what my biggest improvement is over all those years. Under pressure I can see things very clear. (Roger Federer said about himself after Dubai Open 2007)
I never waited 27 years, because 27 years ago I was just born. My parents never told me, 'If you don't win Roland Garros we take you to the orphanage.'
(After Wining Roland Garros 2009)
Rod Laver
The winner of 11 Grand Slams and considered the Greatest in Tennis said about Federer.
"Oh, I would be honored to even be compared to Roger. He is such an unbelievable talent, and is capable of anything. Roger could be the greatest tennis player of all time."
"Roger's got too many shots, too much talent in one body. It's hardly fair that one person can do all this—his backhands, his forehands, volleys, serving, his court position. The way he moves around the court, you feel like he's barely touching the ground. That's the sign of a great champion."
"The best way to beat him would be to hit him over the head with a racquet. Roger could win the Grand Slam if he keeps playing the way he is and, if he does that, it will equate to the two Grand Slams that I won because standards are much higher these days."
Jimmy Connors
The winner of 8 Grand Slams said about Roger Federer.
"In the modern era, you're either a clay court specialist, a grass court specialist or a hard court specialist ... or you're Roger Federer."
Bjorn Borg
The winner of 11 Grand Slams said about Roger Federer.
"For me Roger is the greatest player ever who played the tennis game. It’s always good to see him play and win and we are going to see so much more of Federer in the future, he is going to win more grand slam tournaments."
John McEnroe
The winner of 7 Grand Slams said about Roger Federer.
"Roger is just the greatest player of all time. He is the most beautiful player I’ve ever seen and I don’t ever get tired of watching him. Rod Laver is my idol, Pete Sampras is the greatest grass court player ever, but Roger is just the greatest player of all. I think we can all appreciate how incredible he is even more lately, because he’s shown a bit more emotion on court and he’s become a father so he seems a bit more human, more relatable. That makes what he’s doing seem even more amazing"
"He's the most gifted player that I've ever seen in my life. I've seen a lot of people play. I've seen the (Rod) Lavers, I played against some of the great players—the Samprases, Beckers, Connors, Borgs, you name it. This guy could be the greatest of all time. That, to me, says it all."
"I am amazed, not only by the beauty of Roger's game, but also the consistency of his tournament wins. Even more amazing is the fact that he seems to love what he is doing and he handles the pressure so well. Roger is a great champion and ambassador for our sport."
Pete Sampras
The winner of 14 Grand Slams said about Roger Federer.
"For me, in my prime, I felt unbeatable. In Roger's days, he's unbeatable. It's really hard to put one guy over the other. Having said that, I think Roger is dominating the game much more than I ever did. I think he's going to go on and pass 14 and win 16, 17, 18 majors. I think he's going to break all records"
"What he’s done over the past five years has never, ever been done—and probably will never, ever happen again. Regardless if he won there or not, he goes down as the greatest ever. This just confirms it. Now that he has won in Paris, I think it just more solidifies his place in history as the greatest player that played the game, in my opinion. I’m a huge Laver fan, and he had a few years in there where he didn’t have an opportunity to win majors. But you can’t compare the eras. And in this era, the competition is much more fierce than Rod’s. ( Said after Federer won 2009 French Open)"
"Well, I think when I look at Roger, I mean, I'm a fan. I mean, I'm a fan of how he plays, what he's about, just the fact that I think he's a class—I don't know him personally, but seems like he's a class guy on and off the court. He's fun to watch. Just his athletic ability, what he's able to do on the run. I think he can and will break every tennis record out there."
"I don't see anyone with a big enough weapon to hurt him. They're just staying back and Roger is able to dictate well enough. You just have to serve well and attack him."
Andre Aggasi
The winner of 8 Grand Slams said about Federer.
"Roger Federer will undoubtedly become the greatest tennis player to have graced the sport if he wins the French Open. It ends the discussion of where he fits in the history of the game. If it wasn't for (four-times champion Rafael) Nadal, he probably would have won a handful of these things. So nobody would underestimate where he deserves to fit in this game. He's extraordinarily talented and talk about grace on court, watching him play is something special to see and if he does it tomorrow, he'll know what an accomplishment it was.(The day before French Open 2009 Final)"
"There's probably not a department in his game that couldn't be considered the best in that department. You watch him play Hewitt and everybody marvels at Hewitt's speed, as well as myself. And you start to realize, `Is it possible Federer even moves better?' Then you watch him play Andy [Roddick], and you go, `Andy has a big forehand. Is it possible Federer's forehand is the best in the game?' You watch him at the net, you watch him serve-volley somebody that doesn't return so well and you put him up there with the best in every department. You see him play from the ground against those that play from the ground for a living, and argue he does it better than anybody"
Mats Wilander
The Winner of 7 Grand Slams said about Federer.
"I'd like to be in his shoes for one day to know what it feels like to play that way."
Jim Courier
Former World Number 1 said about Federer.
"We are witnessing history. This is the most dominant athlete on planet earth today."
Rafael Nadal
The winner of 11 Grand Slams (Active) said about Federer.
No way I would be a journalist. You guys have tried to kill Roger - often. But he's always come back and proved you wrong. So one thing I would not do is make the mistake of saying Roger is dead.
(After asked what would you wrote about Roger if you were a Journalist)
"If he is playing very good, I have to play unbelievable. If not, it’s impossible, especially if he’s playing with good confidence. When he’s 100 percent, he’s playing in another league. It’s impossible to stop him. I fight. I fight. I fight. Nothing to say. Just congratulate him."
"Federer is the best player in history, no other player has ever had such quality."
Goran Ivanisevic
He said while questioning about Roger Federer.
"Yes, I really hit with him when he was 15, during a tournament in Basel, and I knew then he would be good, but not this good. If he stays healthy, it will actually be a miracle if he doesn't win more Grand Slams than Pete [Sampras]. The way he picks his shots is unbelievable. He is fast, he has a great volley, a great serve, great backhand, great everything. If I was his coach, what can I tell him? He is a magician with a racket. Even when he is playing badly, which is rarely, he can still do things with his racket nobody else can do."
Billie Jean King
"The winner of 39 Grand Slams said about Federer after wining French Open 2009.
His win today at the French Open, tying Pete Sampras’s record for major titles and the completion of a career grand slam firmly places him in a special place as the greatest player of all time. He has earned his place and he has proven he belongs. Roger is a champion for the ages."
Martina Navratilova
The winner of 18 Grand Slams said about Federer.
"It’s a combination of how many grand slams have you won, how many tournaments have you won, how many years you were number one and he’s got all those combinations. The body of work is phenomenal and now he has got that French Open and I think he can just go on and sip Margaritas for the rest of his life"
Fabrice Santoro
Former World number 1 said about Federer.
"In my opinion he's the best player ever. When you play tennis, playing Federer is kind of a dream because you can see he does everything you would love to do on the court"
Andy Roddick
Active Player and former world number 1 said about Federer.
"He's a real person. He's not an enigma. Off the court he's not trying to be somebody. If you met him at McDonald's and you didn't know who he was, you would have no idea that he's one of the best athletes in the world."
"I think there's—he's the main guy and then there's probably four or five of us that are—I don't know. Maybe we need to do just a tag team effort or something, join forces, you know, like Power Rangers or something."
"You guys are brutal. Absolutely brutal. The guy has only made two Grand Slam finals this year. I would love his bad year. I would love it"
Novak Djokovic
Active and Winner of 5 Grand Slams.
"Today I was playing my best tennis, trying lots of different things, but nothing worked. When you're playing like that and he still comes up with all those great shots you really have to wonder if he's even from the same planet."
Tiger Woods
Famous Golf player and winner of 14 Grand Slams in Golf said about Federer.
"What he's done in tennis, I think, is far greater than what I've done in golf. He's lost what ... five matches in three years? That's pretty good."
And so many players like Ivan Lendl, James Blake, Andy Murray and others journalists, coaches and other sportsmen and women considered Roger Federer as the GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME.
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