Serial Grand Slam winner Chris Evert believes there is a tennis star more deserving of a statue at Wimbledon than Roger Federer.

One simple social media post about whether Federer’s achievements warrant a physical tribute at the All England Club has sparked intense debate online. Swiss star Federer, who retired in 2022, won a staggering eight Wimbledon singles titles between 2003 and 2017.

No other men’s player in the history of the sport can match that total, with Novak Djokovic and Pete Sampras his nearest challengers on seven triumphs apiece. When stewing on which player most deserves a statue at SW19, however, Evert pointed out that there is someone who has Federer beaten.

Responding to the question on X, Evert wrote: “What about @Martina who’s won it 9 times?”. Czech-born Martina Navratilova has more Wimbledon singles titles than any other player in history – male or female – with a staggering nine wins between 1978 and 1990.

And while Federer has Djokovic breathing down his neck in the men’s charts, Navratilova is away and clear on the women’s list. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams, who are two behind on seven Wimbledon titles, are both retired.

Navratilova and Evert were both battling it out for Grand Slam glory in the early 1980s, with Evert’s third and final Wimbledon crown coming after her younger rival had already clinched her first two.

Without fail, Federer is giving a rousing reception whenever he returns to south-west London to watch the tournament he last played in 2021. And the love is mutual, with the 43-year-old claiming on numerous occasions that Wimbledon, and particularly Centre Court, hold special places in his heart.

“Wimbledon was always my favourite tournament,” he said. “It will always be my favourite tournament. My heroes walked the grounds here and walked the courts here. Because of them, I think I became a better player.

“Every time you come back and play at Wimbledon on Centre Court, you warm up and all you hear is the sound of the ball, your movement, your breathing, because people are so quiet. They really only applaud for good shots. They never applaud for unforced errors.

“It’s just a very respectful crowd. It’s such a totally different feel to anywhere else in the world. I wish I could play every match of the season here on Centre Court.”