According to former ATP No. 11 Sam Querrey, Roger Federer's legacy at Flushing Meadows exceeds that of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal, collectively known as the Big 3, are arguably the most iconic trio in the world of sports.
No other group of players has concurrently dominated a sport to the extent of the Big 3 in tennis. Combined, they have won 66 Grand Slam tournaments out of the last 82 held. Their accomplishments at the US Open alone account for 13 Major trophies, with Federer securing five and Djokovic and Nadal each claiming four.
Podcast hosts picked their favourites
Following the 2024 competition at Flushing Meadows, the Nothing Major podcast hosts highlighted their top picks among the triumvirate of men's tennis greats with the most impressive US Open track records.
Jack Sock, selected the Swiss maestro, Roger Federer, without a moment's hesitation. "I gotta go Roger… his night matches were always just iconic," Sock said.
Sam Querrey made a bold statement, asserting that Federer's legacy encompasses a much wider scope than that of the other two members of the men's big three in tennis. He highlighted the adoration Federer received from the American audience while playing under the moonlight and also recalled Federer's victory over Novak Djokovic in a previous New York final with a timeless shot.
"Federer's legacy is like way beyond Novak and Rafa at the US Open. He always played at night, the crowd loved him. He’s got like the iconic tweener shot against Novak," Querrey added.
In a related conversation, John Isner fondly recalled the 2007 US Open, where Roger Federer sported an all-black outfit inspired by Star Wars' iconic supervillain, Darth Vader, during his championship-winning campaign.
Querrey reveals why he considers Federer's legacy to be the greatest
Querrey cited Federer's impressive unbeaten run at the US Open from 2004 to 2008. "For me, talking about like being iconic, age is irrelevant and the fact that Roger won it like five times in a row is the most important stat when we’re talking about who is most iconic at the US Open," Querrey added.
It's worth mentioning that no ATP player has managed to defend a title at Flushing Meadows since Federer's successful defence in 2008.
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