- 15 Mar 2019, 13:42
#126579
Who is the greatest men’s tennis player of all time? That’s a hot topic on tour these days and for good reason. This is the golden era of men’s tennis. In my opinion, the three best players ever are playing right now; ranked #1, #2 and #3-still. Those players are Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.
I’m well aware that it’s hard to compare eras, the equipment is different, top players travel with physios, nutrition is different, Rod Laver won a Grand Slam, Pete Sampras won 14 majors, players didn’t really start playing in Australia until the mid/late 80’s and there aren’t as many great players as there used to be, etc.
Djokovic leads 24-22 overall, 13-6 in all Finals, 5-3 in Masters Finals and 3-1 in Grand Slam Finals with Federer’s only win coming in the 2007 US Open Final which was Djokovic’s first ever Grand Slam Final. Plus Djokovic beat Federer twice in the Wimbledon final without losing one to him.
Djokovic leads 28-25 overall, 15-10 in all Finals, 3-2 in Masters Finals and they’re tied 4-4 in Grand Slam Finals. It needs to be noted that Djokovic has beaten Nadal in all 4 Grand Slams including Roland Garros where Nadal has won 11 titles and only lost 2 matches since 2005. Federer never beat Nadal at the French Open in 5 opportunities including 4 finals along with a semifinal.
Djokovic vs Nadal
Djokovic vs NadalDjokovic leads 28-25 overall, 15-10 in all Finals, 3-2 in Masters Finals and they’re tied 4-4 in Grand Slam Finals. It needs to be noted that Djokovic has beaten Nadal in all 4 Grand Slams including Roland Garros where Nadal has won 11 titles and only lost 2 matches since 2005. Federer never beat Nadal at the French Open in 5 opportunities including 4 finals along with a semifinal.
These are perhaps the most entertaining matches in the history of tennis. I’ve been fortunate to witness several in person and yearn for more. The most interesting thing in this rivalry is that Nadal leads on clay 16-7. 7 losses to Djokovic is more on clay than Federer, Murray, Wawrinka and basically everyone else combined.
All that said, Novak Djokovic is the greatest men’s tennis player of all time! I know all 3 are still playing and each should add to their numbers. But at this point in time, I don’t see how you can conclude anything else than the greatest of all time is Novak Djokovic. As a Federer loyalist that hurts to say, but sometimes the truth hurts. In the end, many of the victory numbers will more or less even out. However for me, Novak Djokovic consistently beats his biggest rivals in the biggest matches on all surfaces. That’s the bottom line as to why Djokovic is the greatest men’s tennis player of all time. What do you think?