Roger Federer ranks among sporting greats such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Tom Brady.
That was the message from 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, who hailed Federer after he announced his appearance at September's Laver Cup would be his last in professional sport.
The 41-year-old won 20 grand slam titles across a legendary 24-year career, only Novak Djokovic (21) and Rafael Nadal (22) can boast more major crowns in men's tennis.
Federer has also won more men's singles main draw matches in grand slam tournaments than any other player in the Open Era (369), leaving behind a magnificent legacy as he prepares to step away from the court.
Bartoli has experienced retirement herself, having called quits on her career after a failed comeback from injury in 2018, and asked by Stats Perform whether Federer was a GOAT – greatest of all-time – Bartoli said: "Yes, he is very much in there – absolutely.
"Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, they are people that transcend their sports – they are icons.
"You go in the streets, you say Roger Federer. I'm in Dubai right now [and if] you say 'Roger Federer' everyone would know who he is. And the same for LeBron and Michael Jordan.
"When you transcend your sport and you become an icon and everyone knows who you are, that's when you know you have been one of the greatest of all time across every sport.
"Same for Serena [Williams], you can put Novak and Rafa in there as well. But it's just that amount of fame and that amount of inspiring [the next] generation."
Having spent 237 consecutive weeks ranked as number one, Federer holds the record for the longest such streak in men's singles history after a four-and-a-half-year spell at the summit.
Federer was also present in the top 10 of the men's singles rankings for 750 weeks, an unmatched number for a male player since the rankings were first published in 1973.
Regardless of Federer trailing Djokovic and Nadal for grand slam titles, Bartoli believes the Swiss remains the best of the trio due to his elegant playing style.
"It's very much depending on your own taste in a way. If you like beautiful, elegant, smooth tennis you have to go for Roger Federer," she added.
"Now obviously with Novak having 21 and Rafa having 22 grand slams, if we speak numbers only then you have two players on top of him.
"But I think it's very much a debate because it depends on the style of play you like and, that said, I absolutely love to see Novak play and win.
"I absolutely loved to see Rafa winning again at Roland Garros this year, I think it was one of the most incredible sports achievements that you can possibly witness.
"But in terms of game style, and the way he has revolutionised tennis, I think Roger was the first one. And then they pushed each other to new heights and I think that was really special to see."
While many youngsters look to emulate Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, Bartoli highlighted the importance of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, too.
"You can tell how much impact a player [has] when you see a new generation trying to copy your style. I think Pete Sampras had that impact as well as Andre Agassi on the generation of Roger, Rafa and Novak," she continued.
"Roger has had that impact on the new generation with Carlos Alcaraz. So that's why I say that he was really the first one to elevate the game to another level because he brought that dimension of his forehand when he was really almost able to play the ball wherever he wanted.
"I always remember that sentence from Andre Agassi, when he started to play against Roger saying, 'well, I never felt against anybody that I had to play on a 20-centimetre square because that's the only safe spot I can play, which is deep to Roger's back. If I play anywhere, he will take the game away from me'. [Federer] was the first one to [do that] and then obviously Rafa and Novak arrived and sought to change that and they pushed each other to new heights.
"When you have the pinnacle of the 2008 Wimbledon final and all those matches in between them that was just beyond epic for me."
Hurzeler prepared for 'intense' Fulham clash
Fabian Hurzeler is expecting an "intense" contest when Brighton and Hove Albion face Fulham in the Premier League on Thursday.
Brighton were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw with bottom side Southampton last Friday but are fourth in the table after 13 rounds of matches.
Fulham are four points behind Brighton after going two games without a win, but Hurzeler is anticipating a tough match at Craven Cottage.
"They are a very good team, good in possession," he said. "They do everything out of compactness and they try to shift and be aggressive.
"It is a very small, tight stadium; the pitch is not the biggest, so it should be quite an intense game."
Hurzeler will have a different vantage point for the match in south London as he is serving a touchline ban after being yellow carded last week.
"Honestly, I trust my team, I trust my staff," he said. "I'm also very convinced that the players will do it on the pitch."
Fulham were stunned 4-1 by lowly Wolves in their most recent home game, which they followed up with a creditable 1-1 draw at Tottenham.
Tom Cairney was sent off and will therefore serve a suspension in the game with Brighton, while Sasa Lukic and Harrison Reed are also out.
Goalkeeper Bernd Leno accepts Fulham will not find things easy against the high-flying Seagulls.
"Brighton are a very good team, very well organised team. It will be a very tough game," he said.
"We'll try to play our game, we'll try to win that game, but Brighton are in a good moment. Hopefully we can keep the points at the Cottage."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham - Harry Wilson
Wilson has been involved in four goals in his past four Premier League appearances against Brighton (two goals and two assists), including a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win for Fulham in this corresponding fixture last season.
The forward has yet to start a league game this season, but he has three goals in nine substitute appearances for Marco Silva's side.
Brighton - Kaoru Mitoma
Mitoma opened the scoring for Brighton in their draw with Southampton, making it goals in back-to-back Premier League games.
The Japan international has more goals (two) in his past two games than he managed in the previous 24 (one) in the competition, but he has never scored in three in a row.
MATCH PREDICTION - FULHAM WIN
Brighton have won three of their six Premier League away games so far this season, which is just one less than they managed in the whole of the 2023-24 campaign.
Fulham have conceded in each of their last 10 Premier League home games, meanwhile, shipping 20 goals in total in this run.
However, the London side are unbeaten in all eight of their Premier League games against Brighton – the joint-most they have faced a side without ever losing (along with Norwich City).
Brighton have also failed to win any of their league visits to Craven Cottage, losing three of those and drawing the other.
Furthermore, Albion are winless in their past nine Premier League away matches against London clubs in their worst-such run since between 1961 and 1967 (10 games).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham - 41.4%
Brighton - 33.8%
Draw - 24.8%
'That makes me angry' - Kerr hits out over missed Nuggets timeout call
Steve Kerr was angry at the officials for not calling a technical foul on Christian Braun late on in the Golden State Warriors' 119-115 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Braun appeared to signal for a timeout when the Nuggets did not have one remaining with 1.9 seconds left of Tuesday's contest at Ball Arena.
Warriors head coach Kerr felt his team should have been awarded a free throw and possession of the ball as a result.
Crew chief Tyler Ford instead called for a jump ball as the Warriors attempted to make up a four-point deficit, later explaining it was because he did not spot Braun signal for a timeout.
Speaking to reporters, Kerr said: "Braun called a timeout. He dove on the floor, he rolled over. Everybody saw it except for the three guys we hire to do the games.
"That makes me angry. That's a technical foul. They don't have a timeout left. We shoot a free throw, we get the ball, we got a chance to win the game.
"[The officials] all told me they didn't see it. It's up to the referees to see it. That's why we have three of them. Somebody's got to see it. So yeah, that made me mad."
For his part, Braun later insisted he did not signal for a timeout.
"It might've looked like it, maybe," he said. "I was fumbling the ball on the ground a little bit. My hands moved, but the refs didn't call it."
The Warriors, who led by six points in the final 2:32, have now lost five games in a row.
"That's not why we lost," Kerr said of the contentious Braun incident. "We lost because we didn't close. Again.
"This is like the fifth game in a row – maybe not all five, but most – where we're not closing, we're not executing, we're not making good decisions, and it's got to improve."
Budenholzer in the dark over Durant injury
Mike Budenholzer is unsure of the severity of the injury that forced Kevin Durant off during the Phoenix Suns' win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Durant left the court with 3:51 left to play in the second quarter of Tuesday's 104-93 victory at the Footprint Center.
He landed on his back after stepping on Julian Champagnie's foot as he rose to take a shot and was unable to continue, despite initially trying to.
The Suns later posted on X that 14-time NBA All-Star had sustained an ankle injury, but did not provide any further details.
Budenholzer is hoping to have more clarity on Wednesday, but accepts it is down to him to get his side to click even if Durant is facing a spell out.
"I think he stepped on somebody's foot in transition, and I think at half-time it stiffened up," Budenholzer said.
"We will have to evaluate him again in the morning, see how he feels coming out of it, see how he does overnight.
"But it's part of our league. We're not any different. There's not a team in the league that's not dealing with some in-and-out of the lineups.
"Hopefully we teach and start to learn a way of playing that's good for everybody, regardless of who's healthy and who's not.
"Other people have opportunities to get more minutes. So, we'll just see how Kevin is, and you've just got to keep playing."
Devin Booker scored 29 points as the Suns weathered the loss of Durant, who finished with 13 points – a game-high at the point of his departure.
Booker passed the 15,000 career points mark early in the contest, becoming the ninth-youngest player in NBA history to reach the milestone.
"All teams, at some point through the season, have to deal with it," Booker said of his team's injury problems.
"I think it's a special time for more opportunities for other people to get a chance.
"Because you never know what's going to happen later in the season or even the playoffs, to where you just have to figure it out."
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