Federer still most influential in tennis

PARIS: Roger Federer’s ranking may have just started to slide and his Grand Slam chances fading, but he is still more influential in tennis today than anyone else, including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, says ‘L’Equipe’.

The respected French sports paper has ranked tennis’ top names on the basis of how much pull they have in the tennis world, and the 38-year-old came out on top.

Federer has fallen out of the world’s top three this year, and he has not won a Grand Slam title for over two years now since the 2017 Australian Open.

“His position in the rankings may not have been the same a little over a year ago,” the article says about Federer. “We are not talking here about his aura, like no other, which makes him a champion who has gone beyond tennis.

“Meanwhile, the 20-time Grand Slam winner is also the boss of the management agency, Team8, who notably attracted the American nugget Coco Gauff, and also knew how to impose his Laver Cup in the ATP calendar, despite the absence of rankings points.”

Djokovic and Nadal, who have swept all the Grand Slam titles between them since Federer’s last one, fail to make the top two due to Serena Williams’ continued imposing presence in tennis.

“(Williams’) power, or rather powers, are not limited to the rectangle of a tennis court. By what she has accomplished and what she represents, she has broken down all barriers.”