The GOAT debate the best player of all time is very fascinating in all sports and has been fueled over the last decade thanks to the rise of social media. Fans of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic claim that each of their idol can be defined as the greatest ever.
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The Big 3 took tennis to a new dimension and broke almost all records, hitting peaks that no one thought possible before their arrival. When Pete Sampras won his 14th Grand Slam title at the US Open, no one thought that three players would reach 20 Major titles in the space of two decades.
Federer was the first to reach 20 Grand Slam titles by winning the 2018 Australian Open, which was the last Major title of his legendary career. The former Swiss champion was the most loved player by fans in every corner of the planet and his impact on the sport is unparalleled.
Nadal has won 22 Major titles, thanks to the incredible feats he achieved in 2022 at the Australian Open and the French Open. Rafa's records on red clay will not be broken for a very long time and his 14 titles at Roland Garros are an almost unreal number.
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However at the moment Djokovic is the player who leads in the all-time ranking of Grand Slams won. The Serbian legend has reached 24 and dreams of winning the 25th next year to definitively detach Margaret Court. The 37-year-old from Belgrade also holds the record for Masters 1000 wins and the record for weeks at the top of the ATP ranking.
Having completed the puzzle by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics this summer, Nole has increasingly established himself as the GOAT. However, some fans and insiders believe that Djokovic has had less impact on the sport than Roger and Rafa.
Zverev picks Djokovic
Recently, Alexander Zverev was asked to choose the best tennis player ever. The current world No. 2 has placed Djokovic in first place, Nadal in second place and Federer in third place.
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The German champion put Bjorn Borg in fourth place, Pete Sampras in fifth, his compatriot Boris Becker in sixth, Andre Agassi in seventh, John McEnroe in eighth, Mats Wilander in ninth and Jimmy Connors in tenth.
In a recent interview with iDnes, former ATP ace Tomas Berdych selected Federer as the greatest of all-time: "Those who want to compare the best by numbers will find arguments for different options. The number of Grand Slams may be the most objective measure, but there are athletes who have left a great mark.
I think Roger will leave a bigger mark than Djokovic in the history of this sport. I think he is a bigger icon than RafaNadal. Perhaps, because he started this great era. What he did for tennis cannot be surpassed by any result."
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Different opinions
However - if you analyze the numbers - it is difficult not to choose Djokovic as the GOAT. The Serbian has broken almost every record and has had a longevity with very few equals in the history of modern sport. Novak was complete on all surfaces and is ahead in the H2H against Roger and Rafa.
Australian ace Nick Kyrgios also reflected on this topic: "I mean the greatest of all time is definitely Novak, but that doesn't mean if I said who would I want to go out there and want to watch, Roger Federer is the nicest to watch. He's the most talented, makes the game look effortless, like the Michael Jordan of tennis. Without Roger, would there have been a Novak, a Nadal, someone to chase? But statistics, it's hard to have a conversation anymore."
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Unlike Federer and Nadal - who have both retired - Nole still has a chance to increase his titles in 2025. The 37-year-old from Belgrade is no longer the player to beat as he was a few years ago, he has been overtaken by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, but he has no intention of giving up and could give himself one last joy before his retirement.
The former world number 1 is motivated to win the next Australian Open, in which he will be a dangerous opponent for anyone. Djokovic has won in Melbourne ten times, knows all the secrets of the Rod Laver Arena and has skipped the last tournaments of 2024 to prepare well for the 'Happy Slam'. Next year, the Serbian ace will try to win the 100th title of his legendary career by getting closer to Federer and Connors also in this special standing. Nole could succeed in this feat as early as the first week of the new season.
