Djokovic, Federer, Nadal: The fight for the crown
Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have dominated men's tennis for almost 20 years. But who is the biggest now?
by Victoria Moser
last edit:
Oct 12, 2022, 09:00 pm
Novak Djokovic's achievements
The 35-year-old Serb is considered by many to be the most consistent and successful of the Big Three. A look at the distribution of his 21 Grand Slam tournament victories confirms this. Nine Australian Open, two French Open, seven Wimbledon and three US Open wins show that the "Djoker" can achieve his best performance on any surface. He also dominates the Masters 1000 tournaments with 38 trophies. So far he can only look back on defeats at the Olympics. He has set many records throughout his career, including being the player with the most ATP world ranking points (16,950).
Roger Federer's legacy
The maestro, who is of both Swiss and South African descent, started chasing the yellow felt ball at the age of three. He holds the record for most Wimbledon wins (8) and has consistently raised the bar in terms of Grand Slam wins. He got the twentieth in Melbourne in 2018. He has the most singles titles (103) and the longest consecutive time as No. 1 to record. He alone led the ranking for a total of 237 weeks – four and a half years.
Rafael Nadal's influence
The Mallorcan can call his own 22 undisputed Grand Slam titles. His dominance on clay is unparalleled. He won the gold medal in Beijing in 2008 and is a role model for many because of his exemplary behavior on the pitch. With his topspin forehand played with his left hand, he changed the game significantly. Even now at 36 he's number 2 in the world and hungry for more wins.
causes of dominance
How can three players dominate tennis for almost two decades? The causes are varied, but all of the Big Three don't settle lightly and always strive for the next titles. Perhaps one can also find an important pillar of their careers in their private lives. Everyone knows that the more stable and trouble-free the off-court life of the pros looks, the better and calmer they can perform. And this is noticeable with Djokovic as well as with Federer and Nadal. Her team is stable and rarely changes, and her life partners have also been at their husbands' sides for a long time. As Roger Federer said of his wife Mirka in the closing speech at the Laver Cup: “She could have told me to stop playing tennis much earlier, but she always supported me. Thanks."
Statistics destroy sport
The debate about the best tennis player of all time is one of the biggest issues in tennis. Every player has already been asked the question of the GOAT of ball sports. However, what numbers, statistics and rankings cannot show are Djokovic's mental strength and stamina, Federer's elegance and lightness and Nadal's strength and fighting spirit. We should be happy to witness these legends instead of weighing their successes against each other.