Roger Federer trails Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in terms of statistics, but what sets him apart is his image and what he brought to the game: Christopher Clarey

Despite his long hiatus from the game, Roger Federer continues to find mention alongside fellow legends Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. American tennis writer Christopher Clarey, who is also wrote a biography on the Swiss maestro, highlighted some of the off-court traits that make Federer special.

In an interview with RTBF, Clarey stated that Federer's overall record against Djokovic and Nadal in Grand Slams and "pure results" suggest he is not ahead of the duo. Clarey was, however, quick to add that Federer is ahead in what he has brought to the game.

"If we look at his time with Djokovic and Nadal as a whole, I don't think it's Roger who is ahead. In terms of statistics and pure results and head-to-heads, they're the ones leading. Djokovic leads with 27 victories against 23 for Federer, and Nadal 24 against 16," Clarey said.

"But if we start globally from the image of Roger, from all that he brought to the game and from all emotions conveyed for 20 years, it is in my opinion tighter," Clarey added.

"He has a lot of emotional intelligence and empathy" - Clarey reveals Roger Federer's rare traits

Roger Federer with the 2018 Australian Open trophy

Clarey revealed that the 40-year-old has a lot of emotional intelligence and empathy. He added that the 20-time Slam champion was always observing people and reading the room which the American thought was "quite rare".

"He has a lot of emotional intelligence and empathy. It's really very striking. I covered the sport for 25-30 years and it's quite rare to see top athletes who don't stay locked up on themselves. Roger is always watching people from the outside and feeling the waves in the rooms, in the interviews. It's quite rare I think," the American added.

The writer, however, mentioned that Federer used to be a lot more volatile in his early days.

"At the beginning he was very angry on the court, he had a lot of problems controlling his emotions during matches. You watch videos of him in 1999 at Roland Garros or at the start of his career, the rackets fly," Clarey stated.

Over the course of the interview, Clarey stated that while he isn't privy to Federer's comeback plans, he predicted that the Swiss would return for the 2023 season and play Wimbledon one last time, if he remains healthy.

"I can't imagine if he feels good, after all this work to return, even if he is almost 41 years old, that he will not make the 2023 season and why not a last Wimbledon. Roger's glory days are over in my opinion, but he can still play a big part in some games if he stays healthy," Clarey said.

Roger Federer has announced his participation at the Laver Cup in September and the Swiss Indoors in October. However, a specific comeback date has yet to be mentioned by the Swiss' camp.

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