It’s been more than two decades now, yet we are still living in the era of the Big Three. The rivalry between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic redefined tennis. Probably, we will never see this kind of rivalry ever again in the future. Most people have their preferences between the three, everyone chooses a “GOAT”. Fabio Fognini, the Italian professional, also has his favorite player from the three.

In a recent interview, he revealed that his favorite between the Big Three is the Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer.

Fabio Fognini chose Roger Federer ahead of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

After Rafael Nadal won his 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, many declared Rafa as the greatest of all time. Italian tennis star Fabio Fognini also respected Nadal’s achievement to come back 2-sets down to win the Grand Slam title. However, when a reporter asked him who would he prefer between Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic? He chose Federer instead. 

“No offense to Djokovic and Nadal, but I am a Federer fan. If I have to buy a ticket, I buy it to watch Roger play.” Fognini answered. 

Speaking about Rafa’s comeback against Daniil Medvedev, the Italian said, “He doesn’t give up… you just have to knock him down. He consumes you, physically and mentally, I’m proud to have beaten him in Monte Carlo. Only Djokovic or Federer managed to stop his competitive fury.”

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Notably, Fognini is still the only Italian to beat Nadal in a Grand Slam (US Open 2015) after losing the first two sets. “I earned it because I believed in it, I stayed there believing in my tennis. I admit that I saw some clips of that game, I remember that the next day I was completely drained of energy,” Fognini said when asked about that famous match.

(Quotes have been translated using Google Translate)

Can Federer make a comeback and win his 21st Grand Slam?

After losing to Hubert Hurkacz at the Wimbledon 2021 quarter-final, Roger hasn’t played a single match till now. He is currently recovering from knee surgery which he went through last year. 

The Swiss Maestro’s recovery process is going well at the moment and he will probably be back to play the grass-court season. Like Fognini, many fans are eagerly waiting to see him play again. However, we still don’t know the exact date and tournament of his return. But Nadal’s win will surely motivate him to come back on the tour and play at his highest level. 

Who is the greatest of all time? Let us know in the comments.

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