Krajicek: Djokovic is Best, But Federer is GOAT

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, February 14, 2026
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic is the best player in tennis history, but Roger Federer is the true GOAT, says former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek.

Speaking with tennis journalist Nicholas Albek in an exclusive interview for Bolavip, Rotterdam Tournament Director Krajicek backs Djokovic as the best player ever.

However, former world No. 4 Krajicek said Federer’s impact on the game and his status as a true tennis ambassador who helped spike the sport to a new level of popularity make the Swiss Maestro the true GOAT.

“I was talking to a friend of mine and we discussed who the greatest and the best athlete of all time is,” Krajicek told Nicholas Albek of Bolavip. “I think there is a big difference between being the greatest and the best.

“If we just talk about tennis, to be the greatest is something extra. That is about what somebody meant for the game and for me the greatest tennis player of all time is Roger Federer.”

“What he has done for the game and his popularity say it all, but the best tennis player in history is Novak Djokovic. Without a doubt, I actually think that debate is very clear.”

The owner of 17 career titles, Krajicek, like Federer, owns a win over legendary Pete Sampras at Wimbledon. In fact, 1996 Wimbledon champion Krajicek owned a 6-4 lifetime record over Sampras, one of the few rivals to complete his career with a winning record against the Hall of Famer.

Krajicek believes both world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner have the skills to break Djokovic’s Grand Slam record of 24 major championships, if the pair can stay healthy and match the Serbian superstar’s health and longevity over the course of their careers.

“What I like about Alcaraz is that he is improving all the time, when he sees that he has to. He improved his serve because he had the feeling that he was chasing Sinner and needed to do that,” Krajicek said. “That is very impressive to me. In that sense, he reminds me a lot of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, because they always found a way to improve and beat each other.

“Both of them have the potential to beat Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam record, but the big question is whether they will have careers that last 15 years or longer.

“That is the only question, because level-wise and mentality-wise they are both able to do it. In my opinion, they are at that level. But the special thing with Djokovic, Federer and Nadal was that they all played more than 15 years at the top, and we don’t know if they are able to do that.”