Ex-ski star Lindsey Vonn calls tennis icon Roger Federer a “GOAT” after a private meeting – and receives angry reactions that get out of hand
No one would deny that Roger Federer is one of the biggest stars on the sports scene. After all, the former Swiss tennis star has won 20 Grand Slam titles and helped shape arguably the greatest tennis era of all time. The 42-year-old is also considered a great personality and gentleman off the court
Vonn raves about Federer: “You are the GOAT “
Lindsey Vonn was able to fulfill a dream last week and spend a day skiing with Federer in Lenzerheide. She also showed off her joy on her social networks. “We’ve been talking about it for so long, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen.
But here we are: retired, skiing, enjoying life,” the 39-year-old wrote contentedly and gushed: “Usually people you admire disappoint you in some way – but not Roger Federer. “
Mountain GOATs
Lindsey Vonn and Roger Federer hit the slopes! ⛷️ @rogerfederer @lindseyvonn pic.twitter.com/n96GBGTrze
– Eurosport (@eurosport) February 10, 2024
Vonn described Federer and his family as “truly unique” and also said that the former tennis pro was the epitome of a sportsman and a true champion. No one is likely to have taken much offense at these terms, but they were all the more offended by another quote.
“You are the GOAT – forever, because it takes more than numbers to have the impact you have,” wrote Vonn – and received more backlash for it than she would have liked.
Kuriose GOAT debate: Vonn deletes social media post
“Do you even know what the terminology of the word is? The GOAT is determined by numbers and successes and Djokovic is currently number 1″, one user – who thought he knew the unwritten rules of the GOAT debate better – was furious. Other users also voiced their displeasure
Following this logic for the “Greatest of all Time”, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are ahead of Federer, who has 20 Grand Slam titles, with 24 and 22 respectively. The fact that many Djokovic fans in particular do not see their idol sufficiently honored in comparison to Federer, who is ahead of the “Djoker” in most popularity rankings, may have contributed to the heated debate.
In view of the jibes against Vonn and her tribute to Federer, the ski star deleted her post on X. The US-American explained that she did not want negative comments to tarnish her experience with the tennis legend
Vonn defends GOAT designation: “My GOAT is not necessarily your GOAT “
Vonn also made it clear that she still stands behind her deleted words. “The post wasn’t a comparison, it was a tribute to a friend who had a huge impact on my life. Federer can be my GOAT, regardless of what others think,” the four-time overall World Cup winner defended herself. After all, statistics and records are decisive for some, while influence and character are decisive for others. “My GOAT is not necessarily your GOAT, and there will always be a debate,” she clarified.
Vonn did not delete the post on Instagram, but did engage in a discussion with a fan who described Mikaela Shiffrin in skiing and Novak Djokovic in tennis as GOATs. “They certainly are and I have great respect for both of them. But I don’t classify the GOAT by statistics,” she wrote, reiterating that Federer will always be the GOAT for her.
