Kyrgios describes Federer as Michael Jordan of tennis - "He is the one who has changed the sport the most"
ATP
Nick Kyrgios has never held back when voicing his opinions, and the Australian made a bold proclamation when he branded Roger Federer as "the Michael Jordan of tennis" in a recent episode of his podcast.
Kyrgios has been out of action since the Laver Cup in September, as the 26-year old is currently dealing with a knee injury. However, the Canberra native appeared on a recent episode of the podcast No Boundaries, and gave his opinion the members of the Big 3, which include Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
"For me, Federer is the Michael Jordan of tennis,” said Kyrgios. “What he accomplished for the sport, with the fans, with the kids… Of the three, I think it is Federer that the kids admire the most. Overall, he is the one who has changed the sport the most.
“And it's his retirement that will hurt tennis the most. For sponsors, etc. Without Federer, there is no Djokovic or Nadal. They were chasing him."
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The World No.90 supported his statement by adding that several players on the ATP Tour have Federer over the years, which all points to just how influential the Swiss superstar has been on the game.
“The GOAT? Today I say Federer," added Kyrgios. "The most influential player to ever play is Federer. His game is copied. On the tour there are guys like [Grigor] Dimitrov who have literally copied his game. Dude, find your own style!
“No one really plays like Novak while people emulate Federer. Even I imitate his gesture in the serve sometimes. If Novak wins another Grand Slam, he will go ahead."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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