Few sporting debates provoke quite as much discussion as the battle to determine the greatest men’s tennis player of all time. For more than two decades, the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic dominated the men’s game, shattering records and pushing one another to unprecedented heights in what many regard as the sport’s greatest-ever era.
Between them, the legendary trio amassed an astonishing 66 Grand Slam titles, spent a combined 947 weeks ranked world No.1 and earned more than £350million in prize money. Those remarkable achievements have fuelled a long-running debate among tennis fans, with opinions still sharply divided over which of the three deserves the undisputed GOAT crown.
Federer has weighed in on the discussion himself, offering his own verdict on the rivalry that defined men’s tennis for a generation. The Swiss icon was the trailblazer of the trio, winning his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 before becoming the first man to surpass Pete Sampras’ long-standing record of 14 major titles.
He ultimately finished his career with 20 Grand Slam triumphs, although that tally was later overtaken by both of his great rivals. Nadal retired in 2024 with 22 Grand Slam titles to his name, including a remarkable 14 French Open victories.
Djokovic, meanwhile, remains competitive on tour. Now aged 39, the Serbian is the second favourite with bookmakers for this year’s Wimbledon as he continues his quest for a record-breaking 25th major title.
While the statistics may now favour his old rivals, Federer has made it clear he is perfectly content with his standing among the sport’s all-time legends – regardless of who fans crown as the GOAT. “I’m definitely very proud, very happy where I sit,” he said after his retirement in 2022. “One of my big moments of course was winning my 15th Slam at Wimbledon when Pete was sitting there. Anything after that was a bonus.”
But when asked to split himself, Djokovic and Nadal, Federer was typically diplomatic. “People always like to compare. I see it every day with my twins. Without wanting, you compare them. You shouldn’t – ever,” he told the Associated Press. “Naturally, we do the same in tennis…I am my own career, my own player, that needed those challenges. They needed a challenger like myself.
“We made each other better. So at the end of the day, we’ll all shake hands and be like, ‘That was awesome’. Now is somebody going to be happier than the other? I mean, in moments, maybe.
