"If anyone has a statue outside of Wimbledon it should be Roger Federer" - Fans differ over John McEnroe's recent remarks on Andy Murray's heroics

John McEnroe heaped praise on Andy Murray and said he deserved a statue outside Wimbledon. However, several fans have opined that eight-time champion Roger Federer had a better stake in that claim.

McEnroe recently recounted Murray's achievements and claimed that the 37-year-old changed the face of British tennis. In the Open Era, Murray is the only British man to win Wimbledon, having triumphed in 2013 and 2016. Additionally, he also reached the final in 2012 while also recording four semifinal finishes in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2015.

Murray's Wimbledon triumph in 2013 made him the first British man to win the grass-court Major since Fred Perry in 1936, thus ending a 77-year-long drought. Apart from winning the grass-court Major, the former World No. 1 also won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics at SW19.

McEnroe suggested that if it was was up to him, he would have permitted to build a statue for Murray outside Wimbledon.

Several fans reacted to the 65-year-old's comments and disagreed with it, claiming that Roger Federer deserved a statue outside Wimbledon more than Andy Murray because he won eight titles there.

"If anyone has a statue outside of W it should be Federer," one fan opined on Reddit.

Comment byu/TheTelegraph from discussion intennis

"Everyone step aside. First Roger deserves a statue," another fan wrote.

"hey should put a statue of fed there instead or alongside Murray," a third fan claimed.

Here are some more reactions to McEnroe's remarks:

"No, Federer deserves a statute and maybe Sampras and Djokovic," wrote one fan.

"Nadal already has a statue at Roland Garros, as he should. Federer's statue should be at Wimbledon, and Djokovic should have his statue in Melbourne. They hold the records for victories at those Slams... Murray also makes sense at Wimbledon...," another fan wrote.

"Love Andy, but come on John has three himself, what is he on about?...," a third fan asked.

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Roger Federer has won both of his matches against Andy Murray at Wimbledon

Andy Murray and Roger Federer at the Laver Cup 2022

Roger Federer and Andy Murray have both produced some impressive results on grass courts throughout their illustrious careers. The pair met twice at the London Major and it was the Swiss who won on both occasions.

Their first encounter at SW19 came in the 2012 final. Federer lost the first set but won three sets in a row to secure a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 win and clinch his then-record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title. They locked horns in the semifinals of the tournament in 2015 and this time, the Swiss won 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 to reach the final, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

Overall, Federer and Andy Murray have squared off on 25 occasions, with the former leading 14-11 in the head-to-head between the two.