Federer is considered the strongest tennis player in history

Expert Kevin Palmer - who has been close to the "Big 4" group for decades - rated Roger Federer in the years 2004-2007 as stronger than any player in history, including Novak Djokovic.

"Federer 2004 and 2005 were so polished and perfect that anyone would have trouble with him," Palmer commented on Tennis365 . "That's when Federer's serve is at its peak. It goes across the court as fast as his incredible forehand. Federer's aura right now is that of a dominator."

According to Sunday World 's journalist , even Djokovic at his peak will find it difficult to beat the 2000s version of Federer.

Djokovic (left) and Federer on the ATP train when attending the Finals in 2018. This tournament Djokovic won the championship, and Federer reached the semi-finals. Photo: Instagram@KevinPalmer

During the brilliant period of 2004-2007, former world number one tennis player Federer won eight out of 12 Grand Slam finals. Of the four losses, two came at Roland Garros at the hands of Rafael Nadal . The Spanish tennis player then emerged as Federer's only rival. Being young and strong, playing with his left hand and having a knack for spinning the ball has helped Nadal somewhat overcome Federer's playing style.

"But Nadal cannot get close to Federer on hard courts, the most popular surface," Palmer argued. "Djokovic is now a young talent but lost the first four times he met Federer in 2006-2007. Nole also lost in three sets in his first Grand Slam final in the US at the hands of his Swiss senior. Clearly Djokovic can challenge him. win a major title, by overcoming Federer in the semi-finals of the 2008 Australian Open".

Palmer, who last year was chosen from hundreds of British journalists to join Djokovic in many activities on the sidelines of Wimbledon, regretted that Federer's peak years did not include Djokovic, as was the case with Nadal. He believes that when Djokovic reached his first golden year in 2011, Federer began to decline at the age of 30.

"During the 2011 season, Djokovic defeated Federer four times, but also lost the attractive Roland Garros semi-final," Palmer analyzed. "Winning three majors with a season-long win rate of 92.1% is something special for Nole. He has gone from being a top tennis player to becoming a candidate for the title of great tennis player."

Palmer assessed 2011 as a turning point that showed how much Djokovic had tried to change himself. "The difficult early years that seemed out of reach have been left behind by Nole," the British writer commented. "From often losing to Federer and Nadal in the most important matches, Djokovic has become a regular champion."

Palmer took a photo of Federer greeting the audience on his retirement day at Laver Cup 2022. He closed his career with 20 Grand Slams, two and four titles behind Nadal and Djokovic, respectively. Photo: Instagram@KevinPalmer

Federer went through nearly half a decade of performance crisis when Djokovic and Murray emerged, and Nadal remained stable. "Express Train" bounced back in 2017, after returning from a serious back injury that threatened his career and severely affected his serve. Federer started winning Grand Slams and Masters 1000s again but there was no more era of dominance.

Coincidentally, Djokovic suffered a decline in 2017, failing to make it past the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam. This crisis lasted until the first half of the 2018 season, when Nole lost the fourth round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, before winning Wimbledon and the US Open later.

"We were fortunate to witness the best Wimbledon final in history in the summer of 2019, between the resurgent Federer and the almost perfect Djokovic," Palmer expressed. "Djokovic came back from the dead in that match, a duel where, in addition to the result, Federer was better in other important parameters."

According to Palmer, Federer in the 2000s was the embodiment of "the destroyer", quick to win and almost unstoppable. Djokovic 2011-2016 has the image of a solid champion, with no mistakes in his playing style, no weaknesses for his opponents to exploit.

"Who wins in this hypothetical fight? The answer will depend on your allegiance to each player. But Federer in his mid-20s playing that way seems to outperform everyone else in history," Palmer concluded.