Tennis legend, Roger Federer, has named his top five greatest tennis players to have ever played the sport.

The Swiss great sat atop of the sport for a record 237 consecutive weeks in a trophy-laden career. In a decade-spanning career, Federer won 20 Grand Slams, including a record eight titles at Wimbledon; his personal favorite tournament.

Having retired in 2022, he amassed over 100 career titles, with only Jimmy Connors having won more. His win in the 2009 French Open final completed his career Grand Slam, having lost in the previous three finals.

Stefan Edberg

Federer struck up a coaching partnership from 2014 to 2015 with his childhood idol Stefan Edberg, so it should come as no surprise that the Swede was the first name mentioned by the Swiss.

A master of the serve-and-volley, Edberg is Federer's personal GOAT. The Swede won a total of six Grand Slams with only the French Open alluding him. He defended his US Open crown with back-to-back wins in 1991 and 1992, defeating the home favourite Jim Courier in '91 and then Pete Sampras in '92.

In an age of serve-and-volley, it was perhaps Edberg's one-handed backhand that stood him out amongst the rest. A major weapon in his game and was considered one of the best shots in the sport at the time.

Federer spoke of the influence Edberg had on his own game, saying: "For me, I needed my GOAT, people who were on the wall at home, and I wanted to be like them. For me, that was Stefan Edberg, Swedish guy. He always attacked the net and was super elegant. He was the coolest."

Boris Becker

One of Edberg's rivals of the time, Boris Becker, was the next name mentioned by Federer.

Becker's biggest achievement is arguably his win at Wimbledon in 1985. At only 17 years, seven months, and 15 days, Becker entered the All England Club unseeded but would go all the way, defeating Kevin Curren in the final. It would be the first of three Wimbledon titles for Becker, who also won two Australian Opens and a sole US Open throughout his career. Becker also earned Germany a gold medal in the Olympic Games, winning the doubles with Michael Stich.

Becker is seen as the pioneer of all-court tennis at a time when serve-and-volley was still the largely used tactic in the game. His athletic approach to the game coined him the nickname 'Boom Boom', with his thunderous first serve and heavy ground strokes.

Winning Wimbledon at 17 shot Becker into stardom and his unique approach to the sport garnered him love from fans around the world, quickly establishing him as a fan-favorite.

Rafael Nadal

The Nadal-Federer rivalry is arguably the greatest in the history of tennis and sits amongst the greatest debates in sports. They are alongside Ronaldo v Messi and LeBron v Michael Jordan.

Their meeting at Wimbledon in 2008 is largely considered the greatest game ever played, when Nadal outlasted Federer winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7. The win broke Federer's longstanding dominance at Wimbledon and is seen as a passing of the torch moment. Shortly after, Nadal would overtake Federer as world number one and would begin his own period of dominance in the sport.

The Spaniard achieved extraordinary success throughout his career, winning 22 Grand Slams, including 14 French Opens, a record which may never be beaten, and earning him the nickname "The King of Clay." He achieved 81 consecutive wins on clay, a record in the Open Era.

He completed his career Grand Slam at 24, the youngest in the Open Era, with his capture of the US Open, a title he would go on to win a further three times.

Novak Djokovic

Djokovic has gone on to eclipse both men's achievements. His longevity in the sport still sees him regularly compete in the latter stages of Grand Slams today, with both Nadal and Federer being retired.

The Serbian has amassed 24 Grand Slams and is the only man in history to achieve a triple career Grand Slam. He has been ranked number one in the world for a record 428 weeks and has finished the year as number one a record eight times.

Many believe that his achievements and ability stand him alone in the sport's GOAT debate.

Pete Sampras

Federer's fifth name rounding out his list was the man he took over as the King of Wimbledon, American legend Pete Sampras.

Sampras dominated men's tennis in the '90s, winning a then-record seven Wimbledon titles. Ranked number one for 286 weeks, Sampras would win 14 Grand Slams during his time at the top of tennis.

With one of the greatest serves in the sport's history, Sampras perfected the serve-and-volley technique. The speed of his serve and ground strokes earned him the nickname 'Pistol Pete' amongst fans.

His rivalry with compatriot Andre Agassi was seen as influential in growing the sport in the '90s. Their contrasting styles of serve-and-volley vs baseliner would serve up classic contests such as the 1995 US Open final.

Sampras would retire from the sport unexpectedly in 2003 at the age of 31.