Stan Smith believes only Federer would have had success in wooden racket era: "He has a very fair, precise style"

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are widely considered by many as the Big Three in tennis but for Stan Smith, he believes Pete Sampras, Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg are on par and should be held in the same regard.

“I think there are six that are the best in history. Sampras, Laver, Borg and the Big 3,” Stan Smith said on La Nacional. “Fortunately these three continue to play. Tennis fans around the world had the opportunity to see three of the best at the same time. It is a special era, which will end in a few years.”

The debate always occurs from that era about wooden rackets and who would have played well with them nowadays and Smith believes Federer would have done.

“I think the only one who would have had great achievements is Roger Federer, because he has a very fair, precise style of play,” Smith said. “In fact, for many years he played with a small hoop racket.”