Roger Federer continued chasing Grand Slam titles because of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic claims Andrea Petkovic

The former German tennis player believes that rivalries help players improve their game.

Roger Federer continued chasing Grand Slam titles because of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic claims Andrea Petkovic

From left: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (Credits: SPark)

Former German professional tennis player Andrea Petkovic had a rather interesting opinion regarding Roger Federer‘s Grand Slam tally. Federer has been the most popular name in Men’s tennis alongside Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic over the past two decades. The Swiss international ranked World No. 1 in Men’s singles for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks. Regarded as “the greatest and most successful” Swiss sportsperson in history, Federer won 20 Grand Slam Titles.

Although Federer was the first men’s player in the Open Era to reach 20-Grand Slam Titles, the tally has subsequently been bettered by his long-term rivals Nadal and Djokovic. The Spaniard has 22 Major titles to his name while the Serb holds the record with 23 titles. Speaking on Tennis Channel’s ‘INSIDE-IN’ podcast, Petkovic made a stunning claim that Roger would’ve stopped at 17 Slams if Nadal and Djokovic weren’t around to push him.

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Talking about Federer surpassing Sampras’ tally, Petkovic said,”If we go back to 2009, when Roger Federer broke Sampras’ number. If Rafa Nadal & Novak Djokovic hadn’t appeared, Roger would’ve stopped at 17 Slams. 100%. We would’ve never seen these numbers.” Petkovic made these remarks in the context of the importance of rivalries in sports.

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With Federer already retired and Nadal announcing that he would retire in 2024, Djokovic would hope that he can further distance his Grand Slam tally from the two greats at the upcoming US Open. Djokovic was stopped from winning his record-extending 24th Grand Slam title at the Wimbledon by a spirited performance from young tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz.

Keep Exploring: “I was regretting not using the chances,” Novak Djokovic breaks silence on overcoming the ‘heartbreaking’ Wimbledon loss to Carlos Alcaraz

Andrea Petkovic hails Elina Svitolina’s comeback

Elina Svitolina
Elina Svitolina (Image via Reuters)

Elina Svitolina, who welcomed her first kid last October, alongside the French tennis player Gael Monfils, has had a hugely successful return to tennis. Svitolina has received widespread appreciation for her stunning performances on her return to tennis in the backdrop of the Ukraine war. The Ukrainian tennis player reached the semi-finals of the Wimbledon championships where she was beaten by the eventual champion, Markéta Vondroušová.

Speaking on Tennis Channel’s ‘INSIDE-IN’ podcast, Andrea Petkovic said,”The Svitolina story for me really is maybe the story of the year.” Petkovic believed that Svitolina played with a purpose, for her country and for her daughter. Petkovic commended Svitolina’s new coach Raemon Sluiter for improvements in her game. The former German professional also felt that Svitolina has put pressure on players like Caroline Wozniacki and Naomi Osaka, who recently gave birth to their kids, to perform instantly.

The two tennis moms, Wozniacki and Svitolina, are scheduled to play each other at the Cincinnati masters in what promises to be a mouth-watering clash. Wozniacki looked impressive on her return to tennis at the National Bank Open.

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