The Big 3 have contributed to the heightened intensity of the GOAT argument during the past 15 years. The debate has always been fierce. In the history of men’s tennis, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have broken nearly every record and shown endurance rarely seen in contemporary sportsmen.
Before the Spanish and notably the Serbian overtook him, the Swiss had held the record for the most Grand Slam victories and weeks at the top of the ATP ranking for a long period. Nole earned 24 Grand Slam titles by twice touching the Calendar Grand Slam (in 2021 and 2023), whereas Rafa reached 22 Majors courtesy of his accomplishments at the Australian Open and the French Open in 2022.
Many insiders believe the 37-year-old Serbian to be the greatest player of all time since he won the most Masters 1000 titles and spent the most weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. By taking home the gold medal from the Olympics in Paris this summer, the Serbian icon has also realised the greatest ambition of her career. Djokovic, who hasn’t won a Major this season for the first time since 2017, has been held down by the ascent of youthful prospects like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The GOAT controversy
The Big 3 have developed a fierce rivalry and engaged in numerous titanic contests, challenging one another to get better and advancing tennis throughout the globe.
Rafael’s uncle and the Spanish player’s long-time tennis instructor, Toni Nadal, recently spoke with Euronews. Among the many subjects discussed in the discussion was the subject of the greatest player of all time, or GOAT. As everyone knows, the discussion is quite passionate, especially among the many supporters of the Big 3, who are, in order of Slam victories, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. He now has 24 Slam victories against Djokovic’s 24, Rafael Nadal’s 22, and Roger Federer’s 20 lifetime Slam victories.
Toni Nadal added additional factors to his opinion of the greatest of all time, which he had previously said a few weeks prior, during the conversation. In the interview, Toni expressed his belief that Novak Djokovic is the greatest player of all time. But Roger Federer was the one who performed the best.” Not to mention, he said something significant regarding his nephew: “I believe my nephew could have been the best without the injuries.”
According to Toni’s analysis, Novak Djokovic is the greatest due to two factors: the length of his career and the fact that he has more titles than anyone else. In my opinion, my nephew could have been the greatest if he hadn’t sustained so many injuries throughout his career, but Djokovic is the best. However, I would also like to add this: nobody has ever done what Roger Federer does on the tennis court.”
Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have always made an effort to keep a positive rapport both on and off the court despite their intense rivalry to set an example for the coming generation. Rafa recently shared details about his friendships with Novak and Roger, saying, “My relationship with Roger is very good.” Friendship is a powerful term; I have pals for life. However, Roger has been a wonderful friend. He’s a fairly well-known individual. Nadal responded to Djokovic, who has always been a thorn in the great Spaniard’s side, more subtly.
He presents a worse picture of himself than he is. Despite his errors, he is a good man. But far superior to his appearance. Novak is the player with the most accomplishments in our sport’s history because even when he breaks the racquet, he is 100% the next time. He is the greatest player in history—the stats don’t lie.
The Future appears promising.
Many supporters and observers question whether Sinner and Alcaraz will be able to surpass the peaks that the Big 3 have reached. The 21-year-old Murcia native won the French Open and Wimbledon Championships in the same year, in addition to having already claimed four Grand Slam victories. Instead, the Italian ace is having an incredible 2024 season, winning both the US Open and the Australian Open.
Regarding Carlitos, Nadal said in the same interview, “He has no weaknesses for his age.” I had a lot more flaws than him at his age. The volley and the serve. He plays an excellent repertory. He is a kind boy who makes everything extremely apparent. He is quite ambitious, and I never had such lofty aspirations when I was his age. They think very differently from one another, and he is well-positioned to have a successful career.