Roger Federer has returned to tennis to oversee the 2026 Laver Cup tie between Team Europe and Team World at The O2 Arena in London.
The Swiss icon set up the Ryder Cup-style tournament in 2017 and he even waved goodbye to his illustrious tennis career at the 2022 event in London.
He returns to that emotional place this year for the ninth iteration of the tournament as the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz compete at the event.
Ahead of the star of the tournament on Friday, September 25th, Federer was asked to name who he thinks is the best player in men’s tennis right now.
That has been a hotly contested subject due to Zverev’s two Grand Slam titles this year, as well as the injuries to Sinner and Alcaraz this season.
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Despite Sinner’s knee injury, which kept him out of the US Open, Federer has still named the Italian as the top player on the ATP Tour right now.
In an interview with Eurosport, the Swiss icon said: “I would say it might even be Sinner, simply because of the absolute dominance he showed in the Masters 1000; he played brilliantly until he got injured.
“Now, how important is the injury to his level of play? I think that when he competes, he has proven to be the best. That’s why he occupies that place in the rankings.”
Federer does, however, believe Alcaraz often shows a higher level than his Italian rival.
“We also know that, when Carlos is at his best, perhaps he is – and I would say he is – the best player on the tour; I think he knows that too,” explained Federer.
As for Zverev, Federer has been impressed with the German’s ability to finally claim those long elusive Grand Slam titles in 2026.
“And Sascha has finally reached where we all hoped he would one day be: a Grand Slam champion. One could argue that if they faced each other right now, he (Zverev) might have the upper hand, especially since Carlos is coming off an injury.
“So it’s debatable, but considering the season Sinner has had, I’d say he’s an incredibly tough opponent.”
Sinner claimed the first five Masters tournaments of the year, as well as picking up the Wimbledon title.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, started his season by winning the Australian Open title, but he has only won one other titles in the 2026 season, at the Qatar Open.
Zverev’s Roland Garros and US Open title are the only trophies he’s claimed this year, although you will undoubtedly not find him complaining about that.
