'Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal are among the greatest athletes,' said Thiem

Dominic Thiem has been among the most consistent players in the last couple of years, settling in the top-5 and becoming the greatest rivals of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic.

Dominic claimed his first Masters 1000 title over Roger Federer in Indian Wells 2019 and lifted the first Major trophy at the last year's US Open to add his name on the immortals' list. Speaking about his favorite athletes on his site, the Austrian put Roger Federer above everyone else, followed by Michael Jordan, Diego Armando Maradona and Rafael Nadal.

"I like to create rankings because you can talk a lot about them. You can argue and laugh with friends. For me, Roger Federer is the greatest athlete of all time. And this is not because I see it through my rose-tinted tennis glasses like that. Roger put the entire sport of tennis on a new level. On and off the court – an icon, a true superstar! After Federer comes Michael Jordan because he was the first athlete who completely combined sports with business.

He celebrated sheer alien things in the NBA, and economically he rose to a world brand. Argentina's soccer legend Diego Maradona is third! A flamboyant character, charismatic, getting you going. A genius with the soccer ball. He was the first soccer player who started an incredible hype. However, his scandals off the field cannot easily be excused. The documentary on him was impressive. Rafael Nadal is fourth on my list.

His dominant game on clay and at the French Open says it all – this is undoubtedly a record for the tennis-eternity. He has continuously been developing his game. We get along well, and I admired him when I was a child. He is an easy-going guy, always friendly and helpful," Dominic Thiem said.