Federer vs Nadal vs Djokovic - Who players who have faced all three think is the GOAT

Tennis fans have been fortunate enough to live through an iconic era of the sport. The recent retirement of Andy Murray saw him praised for his extraordinary achievements, particularly given that he was competing against three legendary players: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

While Murray forced the ‘Big Three’ to temporarily become the ‘Big Four’, such was his brilliance, his rivals are the ones that feature in the greatest of all-time debate. Each of the three men has a claim to the throne: Djokovic has won the most Grand Slams; Federer spearheaded the new era; Nadal was undoubtedly the best on clay and injuries thwarted him from claiming more major titles.

Offering his thoughts on the debate, Murray took a balanced approach, praising Nadal for his feats on clay; Djokovic for his success on hard courts; and splitting the best on grass between Djokovic and Federer. “What all those guys have achieved is amazing,” Murray said in 2023. “If you just go on Grand Slam titles, then you’d have to give that to Novak but for me, it’s just slightly more nuanced than that.” Here’s a look at who other players to have faced the Big Three named as the GOAT.

Tomas Berdych

The Czech ace is regarded as one of the best players to never win a major, having reached only one Grand Slam final in his career. Berdych believes that although Djokovic has won the most majors, the title of greatest-ever player should not be purely based on statistics.

“Those who want to compare the best by numbers will find arguments for different options,” Berdych told Czech Republic outlet iDnes. “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. I think he is a bigger icon than Nadal. Perhaps, because he started this great era. What he did for tennis cannot be surpassed by any result.”

Stan Wawrinka 

Wawrinka is one of only three players - alongside Berdych and Jen-Wilfried Tsonga - to defeat the Big Four at major tournaments. The three-time Grand Slam winner is a compatriot of Federer’s but has said that Nadal was arguably his toughest opponent.

"They are different personalities and players,” Wawrinka said. “If we're just talking about the game, for me Roger Federer it’s really talent, ease and touch. Rafael Nadal, it's strength, power and Novak Djokovic is a bit of perfection.

“It’s true that when you play Rafa in the Roland Garros final, for me it’s one of the most difficult challenges about what I’ve been able to experience in my career.”

Nick Kyrgios

Former Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios explained that while Djokovic was technically the greatest, Federer was his personal favourite. “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 said.

“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 any more.”

Tim Henman

The former British number one had several battles with Federer and faced both Nadal and Djokovic at the start of their careers. After Djokovic set a men’s Grand Slam record with his triumph at the 2023 French Open, Henman believed that the Serbian had finished the greatest of all time discussion.

“He (Djokovic) has ended the debate over who is the greatest male player of all time,” Henman said. “He just loves and embraces the challenge. This is not his best surface, but he finds a way to win. He wants more and more.”

Juan Carlos Ferrero

The former world No.1 mirrored Henman’s argument when asked about the Big Three. “With Djokovic’s numbers there is no debate,” Ferrero told Marca. “You may like Rafa more, you may like Federer’s style more, but in terms of numbers the best in history is Novak.”

Rafael Nadal

While he may be part of the GOAT debate himself, Nadal has already conceded that there may be a clear winner. Speaking earlier this year, the 22-time Grand Slam champion labelled Djokovic as the sport’s best-ever player.

“I believe that numbers are numbers and statistics are statistics. In that sense, I think he [Djokovic] has better numbers than mine and that is indisputable,” Nadal said.

“[There] are tastes, inspiration, sensations that one or the other may transmit to you, that you may like one or the other more. I think that with respect to titles, Djokovic is the best in history and there is nothing to discuss about that.”