Federer happy as Djokovic sets Grand Slam record

Former tennis player Roger Federer is impressed with the way Novak Djokovic breaks records, and believes it is good for tennis.

"I think what Novak has done is incredible," Federer said on June 15, the day of the inauguration of a new public tennis court in England. "It's a great thing for the sport. Tennis writes its own history, continues to add to it as we've seen with Serena Williams, Rafa, then myself and now Novak. It's great to be a player, or a fan, in this era."

Federer at the inauguration of the new stadium in London. Photo: AP

Federer came to London to play a friendly match on the opening day of two new public courts, from the Neon Legacy project created by the "Express Train" himself. When asked about the record of 23 Grand Slam singles that Nole created after winning Roland Garros last week, Federer recalled: "When I first started my career, we all thought Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slams would last forever. Then I won 15, then it seemed like it was over at 17. We pushed each other to 20, then Rafa took it to 22. Now Novak pushed it to 23 and he looks like he'll keep doing it for a long time. That's great. I wish him all the best."

Djokovic now has 23 Grand Slams, the same as former women's tennis player Serena Williams, just one Grand Slam short of Margaret Court's all-time record. He has the chance to reach 24 when he competes in Wimbledon in early July - where he has won the last four years. If he wins this year, Djokovic will also equal Roger Federer's record of eight Grand Slams on grass.

"I think like him, I forget that he's not the youngest anymore," Federer added. "He still looks young and he wins in a very young way. It's not easy, I think what he's done is incredible. I couldn't be happier with it."

Before retiring, Federer's last Grand Slam final was at Wimbledon 2019, where he lost to Djokovic after missing two match points in the fifth set. Federer finished his career with 20 Grand Slam titles, ranking third in the majors behind Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.

Vy Anh

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