Roger Federer: Why Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are better sportsmen - Clarey
Federer has won more Grand Slam titles than any other man to have played tennis.
The Swiss legend, 36, has four more majors than his nearest rival Rafael Nadal and became the oldest man ever to be world No 1 last week, leapfrogging Nadal.
But Clarey reckons because football is a more global sport than tennis, the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have won five Ballon d'or trophies each, should be mentioned ahead of Federer.
“You have to put it into perspective as to where tennis fits,” Clarey said on The Tennis Podcast.
That’s a sport, there are millions upon millions of kids trying to get to that level.
“So in my pantheon of who goes where I’d have to put those great global soccer stars probably at the top.
“But I think Roger Federer comes in very close after that