"Well, I think when I look at Roger, I mean, I'm a fan. I'm a fan of how he plays, what he's about… he's a class guy on and off the court. He's fun to watch. Just his athletic ability, what he's able to do on the run. I think he can and will break every tennis record out there."
- Pete Sampras
If you want to be a tennis player, then mould yourself on Roger Federer. I won three Wimbledon titles and I wish I could play like him.
-John McEnroe
"I'd like to be in his shoes for one day to know what it feels like to play that way."
- Mats Wilander
"I am so proud to have him around. It is very pity that I am not able to play with Pete Sampras, but it's OK, I can see Federer on the tour. I could tell my grandson someday that I have competed against the greatest player on the planet"
-Ivan Ljubicic
"I've never enjoyed watching someone playing tennis as much as Federer. I'm just in awe. Pete Sampras was wonderful but he relied so much on his serve, whereas Roger has it all, he's just so graceful, elegant and fluid-a symphony in tennis whites. Roger can produce tennis shots that should be declared illegal."
- Tracy Austin
"He's the most gifted player that I've ever seen in my life. I've seen a lot of people play. I've seen the (Rod) Lavers, I played against some of the great players—the Samprases, Beckers, Connors', Borgs, you name it. This guy could be the greatest of all time. That, to me, says it all."
-John McEnroe
"You really gave me a lesson on how to play tennis"
- Robin Soderling after the French Open finals
"If you were to ask me who was the best player I had seen and the best player I had played against he would win on both counts. He's so humble and down to earth."
-Tim Henman
"Roger Federer is the only guy I watch for his strokes. He is just beautiful. He can hit every single shot you could ever think of. John [McEnroe] and Ilie [Nastase] were very talented but you always knew there were some shots they couldn't hit. Not with Federer. I would go and watch him practice, he's so good."
-Ivan Lendl
"What he's done over the past five years has never, ever been done — and probably will never, ever happen again, Regardless if he won there or not, he goes down as the greatest ever. This just confirms it."
-Pete Sampras
"A lot of people say it’s better to be lucky than good. I’d rather be Roger than lucky."
-Andre Agassi
"You guys are brutal. Absolutely brutal. The guy has only made two Grand Slam finals this year. I would love his bad year. I would love it."
-Roddick in 2008
"He’s the most complete tennis player in the history of tennis, that’s for sure. With all due respects to (Andre) Agassi and (Pete) Sampras and the rest of the gang. But I never felt so uncomfortable against any of the players before."
-Marat Safin
"Roger's got too many shots, too much talent in one body. It's hardly fair that one person can do all this—his backhands, his forehands, volleys, serving, his court position. The way he moves around the court, you feel like he's barely touching the ground. That's the sign of a great champion."
-Rod Lever
"Roger is at the top, and he's the only person at the top, regardless of how much people want to make rivalry comparisons and this, that and the other. He's the best player in the game. There's no question in my mind."
-Andy Roddick
"You bring up tennis in this day and age and a lot of people roll their eyes, and they're not interested. But listen: if you're not paying attention to this guy, if you appreciate sports, you have to take a moment to appreciate this guy. It's like Tiger Woods. A lot of people are your meat-and-potatoes sports fans: I like football, I like basketball, I like baseball. If you don't appreciate golf, that's fine. You don't have to watch it, and you don't have to pay attention to it, but you have to appreciate the greatness of Tiger Woods. It's the same with tennis. You don't appreciate tennis? I'm not telling you that you have to. But, if you don't give Roger Federer his due, then you're just missing the boat. Roger Federer is the best player in any sport today, and it's not close. It's not close."...
- Mike Greenberg of ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning
"[In the modern game], you're either a clay court specialist, a grass court specialist or a hard court specialist ... or you're Roger Federer."
-Jimmy Connors
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