LONDON (AP) —
Roger Federer is a father of four — two girls who are 13, two boys who are 8 — and so perhaps that is why, as he
wraps up his playing career, he thinks about the
“GOAT” debate that has engulfed the tennis world the way parents might look at their children.
Folks love to ask: Who's the "Greatest of All-Time" in men's tennis, Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic?
"People always like to compare. I see it every day with my twins. Without wanting, you compare them. You shouldn't — ever," Federer said during an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, hours after his farewell news conference at the arena that will host the 20-time Grand Slam champion's final competition, the Laver Cup.
"Naturally, we do the same in tennis. ... I am my own career, my own player, that needed those challenges. They needed a challenger like myself," he said, leaning back on a couch, having traded in the blue blazer and polo shirt he wore earlier for a post-practice navy pullover, white T-shirt and black jogger pants. "We made each other better. So at the end of the day, we'll all shake hands and be like, ‘That was awesome.' Now is somebody going to be happier than the other? I mean, in moments, maybe."
He called the topic "a good conversation, let's be honest" and "definitely a fun debate" that "you can endlessly talk about."