Boris Becker believes Roger Federer is the most popular sportsperson in the world

What's the story?

In a recent interview, former Grand Slam champion Boris Becker argued that Roger Federer is the most popular sportsperson in the world. Becker stressed that the Swiss maestro is even more loved than the top football and basketball stars, including Lionel Messi.

In case you didn't know...

Whilst tennis has always been a widely followed sport, Federer has elevated it to never-seen-before levels of popularity. Through Federer, a new Golden Age of tennis was born, and with it there has been an increase in TV coverage, prize money and stadium capacities.

The heart of the matter

Boris Becker

Becker is no stranger to the limelight and was one of the biggest stars in tennis during his playing days. Therefore, the German speaks with some authority when discussing these matters.

"I think he is the most popular sportsman in the world. He is more popular than footballers, basketball stars," Becker said.

The former world number 1 furthered his argument by suggesting that Federer's ability to speak three world languages aids him in connecting with a wider variety of people than other sporting stars can.

"If you speak with all the sports fans around the world, Roger will always be the No. 1. Go ask a question to Lionel Messi in German or English... Roger speaks German, French, English after the match. Who does it?" Becker added.

Lionel Messi

What's next?

Federer is undoubtedly among the most popular sportspeople alive. If you look at the earnings of the top sportspeople in the world, although Federer isn't number 1 on the list overall, he is when it comes to endorsements.

The Swiss earns more than Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo combined in endorsements, which suggests the biggest companies in the world recognize that Federer has greater marketability than his sporting contemporaries.

All this adds weight to Becker's suggestion that Federer is indeed the most popular sportsperson alive.