TENNIS.com Podcast: Christopher Clarey and his all-encompassing new book on Roger Federer

With his tennis career seemingly winding down, fans are appreciative of any content related to a certain 20-time major champion from Switzerland. Luckily for them, global sports columnist Christopher Clarey has released a new book with a title that speaks for itself—The Master: The Long Run & Beautiful game of Roger Federer.

Clarey joined Kamau Murray this week on the TENNIS.com Podcast to discuss what went into this very detailed project, also sharing his thoughts on the Big Three and tennis as a whole. On the topic of the Big Three, the author makes it clear his thoughts on the GOAT debate.

"Greatest is a strange word... it could mean things that are not necessarily between the lines" Clarey states, citing the amount of eyeballs, business, and pleasure someone brings to the sport as an example. "If you look at it like that, Roger's still in the lead... if you're talking about inside the lines, I have to go with Novak."

Murray and Clarey also have a lengthy discussion over how to grow the sport of tennis in the U.S., where the system tends to guide more young athletes towards team sports. "I'd argue that Federer and Nadal wouldn't be tennis players in our country either" Clarey theorized. His final thoughts on the topic however, remained the most optimistic.

"You just need one or two (special athletes). Like a Coco Gauff. Somebody who's a tremendous athlete and has got that drive. That's all you really have to have for tennis to remain front and center in the U.S."

The conversation covers a lot of ground, including a look at the greatest figures in the women's game, and Murray's theory on how Federer could have been even better (seriously).