5 Times Roger Federer Was Targeted by Tennis Legends

Roger Federer one-third of the Trinity of men's Big 3 and one of the greatest tennis players to have ever graced the sport. The Swiss superstar brought a new life and flair to the sport during 2000s, when he dominated the men's division with his elegant and stylish play. His exceptional performance led him to stardom, right in the early parts of his career.

Recognized for his calm and composed character, Federer has been associated with a few controversies in his career, where he was criticised and targeted by some of Tennis legends.

These are the five times when Roger Federer was targeted by tennis legends:

5) Arnaud Di Pasquale

Arnaud Di Pasquale recently shared some criticism regarding Roger Federer's comments on Alexander Zverev. Federer emphasized on the importance of Zverev being more aggressive during his matches to secure a Grand Slam title. He also highlighted the significance of proactive gameplay rather than solely relying on opponents' mistakes.

Di Pasquale got the back of Zverev asking the legend to be less harsh on the German and also admire his progress as the current world number two.

"I think we’re being pretty hard on him. He’s world number 2, so basically, doing better means being number 1. We’re being too hard on him. He’s still there and I think he’s making progress. I think he’s moving forward even if we see him falling back into his old ways," Di Pasquale said.

4) Boris Becker

Novak Djokovic's former coach, Boris Becker eyes Roger Federer's controversial SABR move as an utter disrespect towards his opponent. He even claimed that such a trick would be of no use against the old generation of tennis players who would have targeted his body on every account.

“It’s almost disrespecting the other guy’s serve. Everybody talks about that’s his new strategy – he comes in. It’s within the rules. If he would have played a [John] McEnroe, [Jimmy] Connors, [Ivan] Lendl or even me, we would have said: ‘Roger, in all honesty I like you very much [but] I’ll go straight at you.’ In my generation guys would not have accepted as it is now," Becker said.

3) John Mcenroe 

John McEnroe wasn't a fan of Roger Federer's SABR move, where Federer rushed to the net after returning the serve to catch his opponent off guard. Federer introduced this 'Sneak Attack By Roger' move in 2018, but McEnroe was critical of it. He even asserted that he would have targeted Federer's body had Roger ever tried to play that sneaky trick on him.

"What I would have done is try to hit a very low passing shot that forced that volley up and I would have swung as hard as I possibly could right at their head," McEnroe said.

2) Marcelo Rios

Marcelo Rios, a former World No. 1, expressed his preference for Nick Kyrgios' 'messy' style of play over Roger Federer's, stating that he found Kyrgios' game more entertaining. Rios felt that Federer's gentlemanly style of play did not appeal to him.

"Federer for me is not a player that you see and you say ‘how entertaining’. I like the way he plays because he’s a guy with incredible ease, very intelligent on the court, very good. But he is not a Kyrgios, a Fognini that you see him and you are waiting for him to make a fuss, to leave a mess. That’s more entertaining,” Marcelo Rios stated.

1) Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer had one of the most legendary sporting rivalries in tennis history. While they have a great relationship now, in 2012, they had a disagreement after Roger Federer claimed that players should not speak out about their demanding tennis schedule.

Back in 2012, Nadal accused Federer of trying to play gentlemanly to remain in the good books of the ATP while ignoring the fact that the schedule was taking a toll on the players.

“No, I totally disagree. For him it’s good to say nothing. Everything positive. It’s all well and good for me, I look like a gentleman, and the rest can burn themselves. Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions," Nadal asserted.