Toni Nadal, the uncle and lifelong coach of Rafael Nadal has said that Swiss Maestro Roger Federer and not his 14 Grand Slam winner nephew is the greatest tennis player of all time.
The Swiss Master holds the record for most Grand Slam wins with 17 and he recently added that first Davis Cup win to his list of achievements which only lacks a singles gold medal in the Olympic Games.
Speaking to a Spanish radio station, Toni stated that he believes Federer is the best of all time, adding that the numbers say this much. He mentioned that alongside Rod Laver, the Swiss Master is the best player the modern game has seen.
Rafael Nadal has consistently come out on top against the world number two throughout both their illustrious careers, holding a 23-10 record over the 33 year old. But Federer hasn’t lost a Grand Slam final at the hands of the Spaniard since the Wimbledon 2007 final.
Toni added that for some reason, his nephew is not affected by Roger Federer and his game. But, one is only as good as the titles they win and the records show Federer has won 17 Grand Slam titles while Nadal has managed 14; Federer has been world number one for five years and Nadal for three; and therefore, Federer is the best.
He also added that current world number one Novak Djokovic might not have the numbers to match either of the two, but he is close to the level of both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Toni stated that he is a very good player, but he doesn’t know if he is better or worse than his nephew.
In terms of titles, both the players are far ahead of him but he has time on his side to come good.