Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are some of the most important players in the history of tennis. Both players have ushered in a different style in the sport, and many look up to them as their inspirations. However, for a former Swedish tennis player believes that Rafa is the most important player in the sport, even more than Federer or Novak Djokovic. 

Mats Wilander’s comments did not settle well with fans of the Swiss Maestro. They rushed the comment section to lambast Wilander as he praised the Spaniard while snubbing the other two of the big three.

Swedish legend faces the heat of Roger Federer fans

Mats Wilander recently appeared in an interview with Eurosport, where he declared Nadal to be the most important player in tennis. He said that the tennis world doesn’t celebrate him enough and he is the main reason youngsters like Stefanos Tsitsipas or Carlos Alcaraz have the fire. Wilander further said that Rafa is the greatest tennis player and most influential, even more than Fed or Djoker.

His statements did not settle well with Federer fans as they rushed to the comment section of the post to tell him what they thought of his statement.

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One fan wasted no time in saying Federer is the most important player in history as he bridged the gap between the older generation and his generation. They further talked about how he raised the bar on and off the court and set new records in many areas. For them, every player in the last 20 years stands on his shoulders, even Rafa and Djokovic.

One fan said that the disrespect to Federer was unreal.

Another fan jumped in to say that Wilander was talking complete nonsense.

One user pointed out Rafa’s bitterness in off-court statements and how it was disrespectful. They further pointed out how the Spaniard received on-court coaching when it was not allowed. Additionally, not playing at the server’s pace was also a sign of disrespect.

One user was annoyed at Wilander as they believed he was as fickle as the wind and would change his tune the next day.

Wilander is known as one of the harshest critics of the Swiss Maestro and maintained his reputation in this instance. However, he praised Federer when talking about the rise of Djokovic.

Wilander praises Federer’s influence

The Swedish tennis legend, in one of the segments from ‘The Roger Federer Effect,’ emphasized the ‘G.O.A.T.’ discussion. Wilander claimed that if the Swiss Maestro had the most major titles, he would have been dubbed “the greatest”. The Hall of Famer also said that having the ‘Big 3 of tennis’ competing at the same time was a tremendous time in tennis.

He further claimed that it was Federer who started it, so his arch-rivals, Nadal and Djokovic, should thank him for his efforts. Wilander has shown a change in his mindset often and was then rushed by Federer fans. We are bound to receive more such opinions from the Swedish legend, with fans of the targeted players reacting similarly.

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