Several players impress fans with their ‘beautiful’ tennis whenever they step foot onto the court.
World number one and two Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev have won many big titles over recent years, but it’s often the player ranked directly below them who receives more praise for his ‘style of play.’
Carlos Alcaraz has entertained millions with his athletic ability since making his debut on the ATP Tour in 2020.
The 21-year-old won the French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2024, taking his Grand Slam tally to four, as he continues to excel.
Currently ranked third on the ATP Tour, Alcaraz has developed into one of the sport’s biggest attractions, as fans eagerly anticipate the Spaniard’s matches.
He has followed in the footsteps of another tennis great, as one American legend named his pick for the ‘most beautiful’ player he’d ever seen, three years ago.
John McEnroe named Roger Federer as the ‘most beautiful player’ he’d ever seen on a tennis court
Ahead of his retirement from tennis at the 2022 Laver Cup tournament, John McEnroe shared his thoughts on Roger Federer.
“You are obviously a class act, I’ve loved watching you play, commentating your matches has been a privilege,” said McEnroe.
“You’re the most beautiful player I’ve ever seen on a tennis court.
“I idolized Rod Laver so that tells you something, thank you for everything you’ve done.
“That’s all I can say, your absolute love of the game, it rubs off on all of us and I got goosebumps just feeling that because it’s been a pleasure to watch you these last 20 years.”
McEnroe’s former rival, Bjorn Borg then sent his message to the former world number one.
“Roger [Federer], you’re the best, to follow you to be a part of your history in tennis, Laver Cup, to be a friend with you, I appreciate that very much,” he said.
“I wish you the best of luck in the future.”
McEnroe then looked back on the moment he shared with Federer that he found ‘really special.’
“My favorite tale was when Bjorn [Borg] and I went to Asia with Roger [Federer] on an exhibition tour,” he said.
“The week before at the ATP Finals, he got sick, and wasn’t able to finish the event, and we both thought he was going to retire, not play, you know, pull out.
“But he played, he talked about how much he loved the traveling, he loved the press conferences and he loved being around the people, and everything about it.
“I was like, this guy just played 40, 45 weeks of the year, he’s playing a couple of meaningless exhibitions that we were a part of, we were the opening act.
“That absolute love of the game was something that really rubbed off on me, that made me feel like this guy was a super special person.
“Just being around him, getting the chance to be on the court with him, that to me was really special.”
What happened at the 2022 Laver Cup tournament?
Federer retired from professional tennis at the 2022 Laver Cup, having struggled with injuries and fitness for several years.
The event attracted an all-star Team Europe line-up for Federer’s ‘Last Dance’ in London, as he was joined by some of the greatest players of his generation.
2022 Team Europe Laver Cup players
- Roger Federer
- Rafael Nadal
- Novak Djokovic
- Andy Murray
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
- Casper Ruud
With Team Europe leading 2-1 after the first three matches on day one, Federer teamed up with his rival Rafael Nadal to take on Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in the doubles.
In an emotional affair, Nadal and Federer narrowly came up short, falling to defeat, 6-4, 6-7, [9-11].
Tears began to flood at the O2 Arena, as one of the sport’s greatest-ever players hung up his racket for good, having won 20 Major titles during his career.
Federer and Nadal withdrew from the tournament after the match, and were replaced by alternates Matteo Berrettini and Cameron Norrie.
A strong day two for Team Europe saw them take a commanding 8-4 lead against Team World, as they looked set to clinch a fifth straight title.
It wasn’t to be, however, as McEnroe led Team World to a miraculous comeback, winning all three matches on the final day, to come away with the victory, 13-8.
Team World lifted the trophy high, after a thrilling tournament that won’t soon be forgotten.