"People have already forgotten Federer. He has 20 Grand Slams, Nadal has 22 titles, and Djokovic has won 24 times," Kafelnikov stated on the First & Red podcast on 10/2. "For some, Federer is an excellent player, but the numbers do not lie. Skill is measured by the number of tournaments and titles."

Federer volleys at the net during an exhibition match with Ruud at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia on 16/1. Photo: *Reuters*

Federer was the first of the Big 3 to retire after the 2022 Laver Cup at 41 years old. Two years later, Nadal followed in the Swiss player's footsteps. Currently, Djokovic is still competing and recently reached the Australian Open final, losing only to world number one Carlos Alcaraz, who is 16 years younger.

Federer officially returned to the court in an early 2026 Grand Slam after three years of retirement. He was welcomed by tens of thousands of spectators at Rod Laver Arena, where he played an exhibition match with Casper Ruud and won a tie-break.

"In my opinion, Djokovic and Nadal are extraordinary players and will forever be the greatest," Kafelnikov affirmed. "Looking back at their careers, they helped each other become better. They challenged each other, and they needed that to improve. In the end, they all shook hands and congratulated each other on what they achieved."

Despite Kafelnikov's disregard, Federer remains one of the most decorated players tennis has ever seen. During his 24-year career, "The Express" held the world number one position for 310 weeks, won 103 titles, including 8 Wimbledon championships – a record for the grass-court Grand Slam.

In terms of titles, Federer far surpasses Kafelnikov, who only won two majors: Roland Garros in 1996 and the Australian Open in 1999. In 5/1999, the former Russian player first reached the top of the world rankings.

Historically, Kafelnikov defeated Federer 4 times in 6 head-to-head matches. In Grand Slams specifically, they met one time at Wimbledon in 2000, with Kafelnikov winning 3-0.

Vy Anh