Federer, Nadal or Djokovic: who is the Greatest of All Time?

The ‘Big 3’ of Tennis

It was a familiar sight for tennis fans around the world when Novak Djokovic captured his second US Open and 10th Major title this Sunday at Flushing Meadows. He has been very dominant since the beginning of 2011 and hasn’t yet showed signs of slowing down. Most importantly, he is now just 4 Majors shy of Rafael Nadal and 7 shy of Roger Federer.

These are among the greatest names in the history of tennis, and the debate to identify the greatest of all has been never-ending. With the conclusion of the US Open, the question has again popped up in fans’ minds: Will Djokovic be able to overtake Nadal or Federer in terms of Grand Slams won? Who deserves the title of the greatest of all time?

Here is a look at their career statistics and achievements and a quick analysis as to who is indeed the greatest:

1. Grand Slams

Federer currently has 17 Grand Slams, while Nadal has 14, and Djokovic has 10. However, what must be taken into account is that none of the three players is done with his career just yet. Let us take a look at their prospects in the coming Majors:

Nadal: There is huge doubt over Nadal adding to his haul of 14, given his current spate of poor form. Even if he does overcome it, it seems as though all that he would manage is one or two more French Open titles. And this is the best case scenario for him, given that he will not be able to have the longevity that someone like Federer has because of the physical toll that his game takes on his body.

Federer: It is pretty unbelievable that Federer has not been able to win a Slam in the last years given how well he has played; it is only a matter of time before the 18th comes along. He is however in the twilight of his career and can at best win two more slams before he eventually has to retire.

Djokovic: There seems to be no one to stop Djokovic right now. His game is flawless and in great shape. The chances are extremely high that he can overtake Nadal. If he continues playing the way he is doing presently, he would easily be able to win 4 slams over a period of 2 years.

However, whether he will cross Federer remains a big question mark; 7 slams is no easy task. He will have to be at the top of his game for 3-4 more years for that to happen. Also, it must be noted that at the age of 28, Federer and Nadal had already won 16 and 14 slams respectively. It is doubtful whether Djokovic will have the longevity in his game to consistently produce the high-quality tennis that he is playing right now.

Winner: At the end of their respective careers, it will most likely be Federer who will be having the highest number of Grand slams, followed by Djokovic and then Nadal.

2. Masters titles

Nadal leads the pack with 27 Masters titles, while Federer and Djokovic are tied at 24 titles each. Since there is not much to separate the players here, we narrow it down to playing surfaces.

Clay: It is really no surprise that Nadal has the most number of claycourt Masters. He has a whopping 19 Masters titles on clay, while Federer and Djokovic have only 6 and 7 respectively.

Hard: Federer is leading in this section currently with 18 titles, but it is only a matter of time before Djokovic overtakes him. He is just 1 title short of equaling Federer and looks in much better shape to win more. Nadal has been below par in this section with just 8 hardcourt Masters titles.

Winner: It will most probably be Djokovic who will end up with the most number of Masters titles. He is just 3 titles behind Nadal and will easily be able to overtake him and Federer given the form he is in.

A clear winner, however, cannot be decided based on this because there has been quite a disadvantage for Federer in this case. Had there been a grasscourt Masters event, Federer would likely have more Masters titles than he does currently.

3. Head-to-head

The trio has produced some breathtaking matches over the years with high-intensity tennis played from both ends of the court. Here, we take a look at their rivalry

Federer vs Nadal: Nadal has completely dominated this rivalry. Their head-to-head currently stands at 23-10 in favour of the Spaniard. Federer has always had a problem with the style of tennis played by Nadal, with heavy topspin from the lefty forehand to the Swiss’ single-handed backhand being the game-changer.

The pair, however, have met predominantly on clay (15 times), which is statistically Nadal’s best surface and Federer’s worst. Federer leads 2-1 on grass and 4-1 on indoor hardcourts, while Nadal leads 8-2 on outdoor hardcourts and 13-2 on clay.

Federer vs Djokovic: This is probably one of the most even rivalries in tennis. The pair have met 42 times and are tied 21-21. There is not much difference when narrowed down to playing surfaces as well. They are tied 4-4 on clay while Federer leads 16-15 on hardcourts and Djokovic leads 2-1 on grass.

Nadal vs Djokovic: They hold the record for most meetings in the Open Era (44 times), with Nadal holding a slight advantage of 23-21. The Spaniard leads 2-1 on grass and 14-6 on clay while Djokovic leads 14-7 on hardcourts.

Winner: Nadal clearly comes out on top here, with a better head-to-head record over both Federer and Djokovic. There is however a possibility that Djokovic might overtake Nadal and Federer in the near future.

4. Rankings

There is really not much to talk about here. Federer has spent a mind-boggling 302 weeks at the top of the rankings. Djokovic and Nadal are way behind with 164* and 141 weeks respectively. In fact, the number of consecutive weeks spent by Federer at the top (237) is more than the total time spent by Nadal or Djokovic as World No. 1.

Winner: There is no looking beyond Federer here. This is one of his records that will probably never be broken.

5. Consistency

Roger Federer: The name Roger Federer is synonymous with consistency. Over the course of his career he has reached 10 consecutive Major finals, 23 consecutive Major semifinals and 36 consecutive Major quarterfinals, and made 64 consecutive Major appearances. He was won 3 Majors in a year 3 times (2004, 2006-07), and 2 Majors in a year 5 times (2004-07, 2009). The numbers speak for themselves here.

Rafael Nadal: Nadal has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, simply because of the style of tennis he plays. His inconsistency arises primarily due to this factor. He did, however, managed to win a Major every year for 10 consecutive years (2005-14).

Novak Djokovic: Djokovic has reached 14 consecutive Major semifinals and 26* consecutive Major quarterfinals. He has won 3 Majors in a year 2 times (2011, 2015). He has also reached all four Major finals in year once (2015). Only Laver and Federer have achieved this feat more times than him, with 2 and 3 times respectively.

Winner: It just has to be Federer. He has been far more consistent when compared to Nadal or Djokovic.

6. Miscellaneous

ATP World Tour Finals: Federer has won 6 year-end championships, while Djokovic has won 4 and Nadal has won none. Djokovic may go on to overtake Federer’s tally in the future.

Career Grand Slam: Federer and Nadal have achieved the feat of Career Grand Slam, i.e., winning all 4 Majors at some point in their career, while Djokovic is yet to win the French Open title. But it is only a matter of time before he finally captures the title; he has come close on several occasions now.

Olympic gold: Nadal is the only player to have won the singles Olympic gold medal among the three players. Federer’s best performance has been a silver. He has, however, won the gold medal in doubles. Djokovic has managed to get only a bronze medal in his Olympic appearances so far.

Conclusion

Putting all the numbers and achievements together, I am leaning towards Roger Federer as the Greatest of All Time. Even though he has a losing head-to-head against Nadal, the consistency that he has maintained over the years will probably never be matched.

The Swiss’ longevity in the sport is another reason which fetches him this title. It’s amazing that a player at the age of 34 is able to produce some of the best tennis of his career. He has been ranked No. 1 for an extremely large period of time, and he also has more year-end championships and Grand slams than the other two at present.

It was a really tough call between Nadal and Djokovic. On the one hand, Nadal has a Career Grand Slam, Olympic gold, more Masters titles and a better head-to-head record against Djokovic. But it’s highly probable that Djokovic will be able to overturn these records in his favour.

On the other hand, Djokovic is a multiple year-end champion, while Nadal has never lifted that title. He has also been more consistent than Nadal. This, for me, puts Djokovic slightly ahead of Nadal.

It must be noted, however, that if Djokovic manages to overtake Nadal and come within touching distance of Federer’s tally of 17, I may be forced to rethink my stance. But for now, it is Roger Federer who is undisputedly the greatest.