The Greatest Tennis 🎾 Player of All Time?

[rick64]

Djokovic playing amazing for someone 36 years old. Extremely impressive. I can remember when we wondered how long it would be before someone passed Sampras. Roger blew by that and then we wondered how long that would last. Nadal and Djokovic passed him. What an era we’ve been privileged to see.

 

[Bluefield88]

It surely isn’t the Butt Picker. Wonder if Djokovic will slap one or two more on the tally.

 

[Mike-McD]

It surely isn’t the Butt Picker. Wonder if Djokovic will slap one or two more on the tally.

Getting a walkover to the semis and not having to play any of the big three until the final certainly is helping him right now.

 

[Stan the caddy]

It’s pretty clear now that it’s Djokovic. I enjoyed the grace of Fed’s game more, but have to give Novak his props.

It’s fun to think about what these guys might have done had they not all intersected. We could be talking about 35-40 majors for one dude.

 

[mcnicKY91]

Forgot this thread still existed...haha.

Djokovic has looked like crap this entire year. Has really played subpar tennis. This includes the French and Wimbledon thus far.

The field sucks, guys. Outside of Alcaraz (Sinner still craps down his leg way too often), the field blows. It is a laughable the success a 37 year old is having.

Reminds me of the success Nadal had in the first half of 2022 (before injuries essentially ended his career). Played subpar tennis, and rolled over everybody the first half of the year. Won Australian, French, and made it to semis of Wimbledon before pulling out with injury. The guy could barely serve in the quarters against Fritz, and still won, lol.

Djokovic is strictly the beneficiary of being the last of the big 3 remaining. Nothing more. Nothing less. He could rack up another 3-5 majors, and it would do nothing to differentiate himself from Fed and Nadal, in my opinion.

 

[TCPUKChamps]

Nadal retiring after Davis Cup

 

[rick64]

Nadal to retire from tennis at end of season

Tennis great Rafael Nadal has announced he will retire from tennis after representing Spain at the Davis Cup in Malaga next month.

www.espn.com

 

[cawoodsct]

I consider Nadal the greatest of all time but im happy to consider all of them the goats.

 

[DraftCat]

Sad to see Nadal retiring... it's a shame he had so many injuries towards the end of his career.

As many of you know I'm a big Roger guy but Nadal at his peak likely was the best of the big 3 IMO.

 

[mcnicKY91]

In retrospect, wish he would have retired after he won '22 French Open. But why would anyone retire after winning the first two majors of the year.

Once he retired from Wimbledon in '22 after beating Fritz in the quarters, his career was basically over. He never regained his mobility (to what we were accustomed to seeing with Rafa), and that was all she wrote.

Rafa is the ultimate champion and the game will sorely miss him. For my money, Rafa, Novak, and Fed are the co-GOATS. End of an era, for sure.

 

[Bluefield88]

The Butt Picker hasn’t belonged on the same tennis court (that isn’t clay) with Djokovic in a decade.

 

[cawoodsct]

When it was all on the line for a Grand Slam Final they played 9 times:
Nadal 5 Djokovic 4
In all Grand Slam matches Nadal 11 Djokovic 7

 

[Bluefield88]

And ten of those were at RG…

They played in five Grand Slams 2006-2010. Since 2011 Djokovic owned prime Nadal. Zero ATP Tour Finals for Nadal. Pretty wild stuff.

 

[cawoodsct]

Since 2010, Nadal won 7 Grand Slam matches and Djokovic 7. Finals in Grand Slams since 2010 Nadal 5-4

 

[mcnicKY91]

Since 2010, Nadal won 7 Grand Slam matches and Djokovic 7. Finals in Grand Slams since 2010 Nadal 5-4

Novak Djokovic fans are some of the most insecure fans in all of professional sports.

On a day we should be celebrating Rafa's greatness and what he brought to the game, a Novak fan's first thought is to somehow denigrate his career. Speaks volumes, but that is par for the course for the majority of Novak fans.

 

[gamecockcat]

Rafa an all-timer, very possibly the best ever on clay (hard to compare, but Borg was pretty unbeatable on clay in his prime, too). He may not be remembered as the GOAT, but he's on the very short list of Mt. Rushmore of tennis, along with Roger, Novak, Laver, Serena, Sampras, et al.

 

[Bluefield88]

Novak Djokovic fans are some of the most insecure fans in all of professional sports.

On a day we should be celebrating Rafa's greatness and what he brought to the game, a Novak fan's first thought is to somehow denigrate his career. Speaks volumes, but that is par for the course for the majority of Novak fans.

Not even a Novak fan but goofballs can’t objectively look at the Big 3. Djokovic has dominated the last 13 years. Take away clay and it’s embarrassing.

 

[JonathanW]

Define "greatest". Do you mean the one who, at their prime, would be better than every other historical player (at their prime)? Or the one, who was more better than their contemporaries (competitors) when they played?
I am not into tennis. But I think you have to have Serena in the discussion. No, of course she's not going to beat any of the male greats 1 on 1, at least none in the past 50 years. But was she better than her female competition more than Novak or other male greats were better than their male competition, maybe. But if it's who could beat everyone else at their prime, then I think you have to pick one of the more recent (say past 20 years) males (faster, stronger, even better rackets).

 

[cawoodsct]

Not even a Novak fan but goofballs can’t objectively look at the Big 3. Djokovic has dominated the last 13 years. Take away clay and it’s embarrassing.

Noone takes away any surface. Take away the Australian for Djokovic?

 

[chroix]

Djokovic has the career numbers to make the argument. He also had so many meltdowns against Nadal and Federer when they were at their prime that it’s hard for me to accept him as GOAT. But hard to argue against him so maybe for now he is the one.