"Not having Roger Federer is serial killer behavior" - Fans baffled by Coco Gauff's coach Brad Gilbert's 'Mt Rushmore of tennis' ft. Djokovic, Nadal

Roger Federer's exclusion from Coco Gauff's coach Brad Gilbert's list of the players who make up the Mount Rushmore of tennis has baffled fans. While the Swiss legend was left out, his arch-rivals, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, both made the cut.

Djokovic recently made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics, beating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2) to clinch his maiden gold medal at the event. With his triumph, the Serb completed the career Golden Slam, winning all four Majors and the Olympic gold, and joined Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Nadal and Serena Williams as the only players to have accomplished this milestone.

In the wake of the World No. 2's victory, Brad Gilbert included the 24-time Grand Slam champion alongside Graf, Williams and Nadal in the Mount Rushmore of tennis in the Open Era.

"The Mt Rushmore of tennis 🎾 in the open era Steffi Serena Vamos-Rafa and Djoker 💪👍👌😎👊," he posted on X.

Fans were shocked by the "insane" omission of Roger Federer from the ranks, humorously chastising Gilbert for the oversight.

"Not having Roger on here is serial killer behavior lol," one fan commented.

"Brad you’re great, we both played tennis at the same university, but leaving Federer out is insane. Do you need me to start sourcing nursing homes?" another fan chimed in.

"Lmao the Roger Federer erasure is nasty work," said another.

Many fans argued that, despite his Grand Slam tally being lower than that of Nadal and Djokovic, the Swiss legend's impact on the sport made him deserving of a spot.

"If you build a mount Rushmore with rafa and nole you have to Put Roger there as well. Even If He is the least successful, but He raised the bar," one fan asserted.

"Any fair tennis fan including Rafa fans like myself would say that you have to make it five and include Roger. too important to the game and the most beloved tennis player of all time," another fan wrote.

"Djokovic is my all time favorite.But if it weren’t for Roger, Rafa and Nole would probably not be as masterful at what they were able to do. They worked each other good," a fan posted.

Some fans debated the absence of 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova from the list, while another fan argued that Andre Agassi also deserved a place of honor despite having fewer Major titles than the rest.

"What about Martina? Most complete player than Steffi and Serena, look at total number including doubles and mix doubles," a fan questioned.

"Actually I disagree…Navratilova must be there too. And, I’d put her above Steffi," one fan contended.

"Andre won all Slams & #Olympics Gold, too. Even if not that many times over like the others, but he got everything in tennis," another fan argued.

"Martina Navratilova would be 3rd best woman like Roger Federer" - Brad Gilbert defends duo's exclusion from 'Mt Rushmore of tennis'

Roger Federer (Source: Getty)

As fans continued to raise questions about Roger Federer and Martina Navratilova's exclusions from his Mount Rushmore of tennis, Brad Gilbert clarified his reasoning.

Gilbert asserted that while both Navratilova and Federer would both find a place if there were six spots up for grabs, he contended that the 18-time Grand Slam champion was the third-best women's player behind Steffi Graf and Serena Williams. Similarly, the Swiss legend trailed Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in men's tennis, according to the 62-year-old.

"She would be 3rd best Woman like Fed so if there were 6 they both be on," he commented.

However, Chris Evert previously shared a contrasting perspective on Navratilova's legacy in women's tennis, asserting that "as much as Steffi Graf was a goat, so were Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams."