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Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have transformed tennis and taken the sport to new heights with their talents and accomplishments. Watching three of the greatest athletes of all time competing at the same time has been a treat for fans across the world.
The trio are collectively known as the "Big 3" due to their unprecedented dominance for almost two decades now. They've denied some of the best players across generations from achieving success in Grand Slams and Masters events.
However, there have been quite a few instances where a few "Davids" have slain the "Goliaths" of tennis. Here's a look at the players who have the most victories against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic:
#5 Lleyton Hewitt
Former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt has a combined 14 wins over Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Hewitt and Federer had quite the rivalry in the early 2000s. The two went up against each other 27 times, with the Swiss leading 18-9 in the head-to-head. Hewitt dominated their rivalry at the start of their respective careers, winning seven of their first nine encounters.
However, Federer started dominating the tour in 2004 and turned the tables on Hewitt, winning 16 of the next 18 matches they contested.
Hewitt's rivalry with Nadal and Djokovic wasn't as fierce. He won just one match against the Serb out of seven encounters, at the 2006 US Open. The Australian won four out of 11 matches against Nadal.
#4 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was one of the many players halted by the Big 3 during his prime, but still managed to score some impressive wins over the trio. The Frenchman has a total of 16 victories against them.
Tsonga's most notable rivalry was with Djokovic. Their first meeting took place at one of the biggest stages of tennis, the 2008 Australian Open final. The Frenchman defeated Nadal to reach his maiden Grand Slam final, but lost to Djokovic in four sets. The Serb leads their rivalry 17-6.
Tsonga and Federer also entertained fans with their clashes, with the Swiss leading 12-6 in the head-to-head. At the 2011 Wimbledon, Tsonga became the first player to defeat the Swiss maestro from two sets down at a Grand Slam.
While Nadal and Tsonga didn't cross paths that often, the Spaniard has a 10-4 record in his favor.
Tsonga also has the distinction of being one of three players to defeat each member of the Big 3 at least once while they were ranked World No. 1.
#3 Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem has proved himself to be one of the most talented Next Gen players. He burst onto the scene in 2014 as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic continued their domination, but managed to carve a name for himself regardless. The 2020 US Open champion has won a total of 16 matches against the legendary trio so far.
Thiem is one of the few players to have a winning record against Federer, leading their rivalry 5-2. The Swiss won their very first match in 2016, but his younger rival got the better of him in their next match. They split their next two meetings, but Thiem has managed to win the next three.
Thiem has been touted as the "prince of clay" and for good reason. He has bested Nadal six times in their 15 meetings and four of those came on the Spaniard's preferred surface, clay. However, Nadal twice denied him the Roland Garros title by defeating the Austrian in the 2018 and 2019 finals.
Thiem and Djokovic also have a close rivalry, with the Serb leading 7-5. Djokovic won their first five matches from 2014 until 2017. Thiem scored his first victory against the Serb at the 2017 Roland Garros. The Austrian has come out on top more often in this match-up since 2017.
However, Djokovic stopped him from winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2020 Australian Open. Thiem led by two sets to one in the final, but the Serb staged a great comeback to win the title.
#2 Juan Martin del Potro
Juan Martin del Potro managed to achieve a fair bit of success despite the frequent injuries that plagued his career. If fully healthy, there is no doubt he could've achieved a lot more.
The Argentinian has often denied Federer, Nadal and Djokovic a chance at achieving further glory with his inspired performances. The towering Argentine won a total of 17 matches against the Big 3 (four vs Djokovic, six vs Nadal and seven vs Federer).
Juan Martin del Potro defeated Nadal in the semifinals and Federer in the final to win his only Grand Slam title at the 2009 US Open. It was the first time that a player had defeated both Nadal and Federer in the same Grand Slam tournament.
Del Potro and Djokovic engaged in some of the most memorable matches of the past decade. The Argentine defeated the former World No. 1 in the first round of the 2016 Rio Olympics, leaving Djokovic teary-eyed. Del Potro had previously denied the Serb the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
#1 Andy Murray
Andy Murray's accomplishments in the tennis world are quite stunning. The Brit went toe-to-toe with the Big 3 during their prime and notched up 29 wins against them, the most of any player.
Murray and Djokovic have faced off 36 times, with the latter leading 25-11 in the head-to-head. They've met in the finals of all four Grand Slams, with Djokovic winning their encounters at the Australian Open in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 and at the 2016 French Open. Murray emerged victorious at the 2012 US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon.
In 2016, Murray became World No. 1, replacing Djokovic at the top of the rankings. It was the first time since 2004 that someone outside the Big 3 became the top-ranked player in the world.
Federer leads Murray 14-11 in their rivalry. The Brit had an advantage in their match-up early on, leading 8-5. But Federer has won most of their matches since 2011. In 2012, Federer defeated Murray to win his 17th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. A few weeks later, the two met in the final of the London Olympics at the same venue, but Murray gained his revenge by taking home the gold medal.
Murray and Nadal have surprisingly never met in a Grand Slam final so far. They've however played several semifinals in Grand Slams and other high-profile events. The Spaniard holds a 17-7 record in his favor.
Despite Murray trailing the infamous tennis trio in almost every department, no other player has given them as much trouble as the Brit during their careers.
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