"Roger Federer put the entire sport of tennis on a new level" - Dominic Thiem on why the Swiss is the greatest athlete of all time
World No. 3 Dominic Thiem recently picked his top five athletes of all time, naming Swiss legend Roger Federer as the greatest ever.
The Austrian tennis star, who is currently competing in the Vienna Open, picked Michael Jordan, Diego Maradona, Rafael Nadal and Michael Schumacher as the other four names.
Dominic Thiem made the comments on his new website, where he spoke extensively about the most prominent sportspersons of all time. When asked to pick the world's greatest athletes, the 2020 US Open champion began his list with Roger Federer.
"Roger Federer! And this is not because I see it through my rose-tinted tennis glasses like that. Roger put the entire sport of tennis on a new level. On and off the court – an icon, a true superstar!" answered Dominic Thiem.
The 2020 Australian Open runner-up named basketball legend Michael Jordan after Federer, particularly for taking commercialization in sports to another level.
Dominic Thiem then picked Diego Maradona as the third greatest athlete, labeling him a football genius. Another tennis legend who earned a spot on Dominic Thiem's list was current World No. 2 Rafael Nadal.
"Rafael Nadal! His dominating game on clay and at the French Open says it all – this is surely a record for the tennis eternity. He has constantly been developing his game. We get along well. I admired him when I was a child. He is a totally easy going guy, always friendly and helpful," Dominic Thiem continued.
The two-time Roland Garros runner-up had also recently opened up on his friendship with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal off the tennis court.
Dominic Thiem selected Michael Schumacher to end his list.
The 27-year-old is also an ardent football fan. When asked to choose one between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Thiem replied that he preferred the Portuguese superstar - while adding that Messi was a 'magician'.
"I consider both as top stars. Ronaldo is slightly ahead, this is just gut feeling. His scoring numbers are out of this world. He scores from every possible position. (Messi is) Absolutely incredible, a magician! Too bad he plays for Barcelona! The Catalans have the biggest rivalry with my "soccer-love "Chelsea," the defending Vienna Open champion replied.
Dominic Thiem's excellent record against Roger Federer
Although Roger Federer is a 20-time Grand Slam Champion and widely regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time, the Swiss veteran has a losing head-to-head record against Dominic Thiem on the ATP tour.
The two European rivals have played each other seven times, with Thiem having got the better of the Swiss Maestro in five of them. Notably, Thiem has not lost to Federer since 2018.
As far as his current Vienna Open campaign is concerned, Dominic Thiem is set to battle the unseeded Cristian Garin in the second round of his home tournament.