I think Novak is eventually going to pass Roger and Rafa. Even so, unless he blows by them there will be a debate. Your opinion and why?
The Greatest Tennis 🎾 Player of All Time?
- Thread starter cawoodsct
- Start date
Laver.
Lefty one hand backhand
200 titles
3 Australian, 2 French, 2 US Open, 4 Wimbledon
1st man to a million
Lefty one hand backhand
200 titles
3 Australian, 2 French, 2 US Open, 4 Wimbledon
1st man to a million
It’s a toss up. You could look at stats and each of them (Nadal, Federer, Djokovic) have a perfectly reasonable claim to the GOAT. It’s amazing that they are contemporaries.
Federer has never gone more than one season without a major title since 2003.
Nadal has beaten Federer on “his” court (Wimbledon) but Federer has not done the same to Nadal.
Djokovic has the edge head-to-head overall and in major matchups.
I could go on and on with stats like those.
If Djokovic goes another 5 years winning majors, then he will hold the title.
The answer, of course is ...
Federer has never gone more than one season without a major title since 2003.
Nadal has beaten Federer on “his” court (Wimbledon) but Federer has not done the same to Nadal.
Djokovic has the edge head-to-head overall and in major matchups.
I could go on and on with stats like those.
If Djokovic goes another 5 years winning majors, then he will hold the title.
The answer, of course is ...
Serena
Shoes, equipment, ect makes it impossible to compare players. Serena Williams is the obvious female choice. Male is too hard.
If I had it my way all 3 would finish at 21 majors, for kicks and giggles.
Novak had in my opinion the best year and a half of tennis
I’ve ever seen. Still not the greatest of all time yet. I’m a Rafa guy, so for now, in my opinion it’s him.
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-old school: rod "the rocket" laver.
-goat: Federer.
Rafa is my favorite current player. Plays like a linebacker.
-goat: Federer.
Rafa is my favorite current player. Plays like a linebacker.
If you believe that sexist reporter that somehow got John McEnroe in trouble a few years back it's Serena. Sexist being the key word.
My favorite ever was Agassi. I think Federer best best could beat anyone except for Nadal on clay.
Iga Swiatek, the reigning French Open champ is my G.O.A.T. since I'm Polish-American 
But seriously, any of the current 'Big 3' on the men's side are good answers as is Serena on the ladies side. One more I offer for the ladies side is Margaret Court with 24 Grand Slams, which is the most of anybody male or female. Serena's still yet to catch her.
Also on the ladies side, I think Monica Seles would have been up there if not for the crazy Steffi Graf fan stabbing her with a knife. That's an unfortunate case of what might have been, one of many in sports...
But seriously, any of the current 'Big 3' on the men's side are good answers as is Serena on the ladies side. One more I offer for the ladies side is Margaret Court with 24 Grand Slams, which is the most of anybody male or female. Serena's still yet to catch her.
Also on the ladies side, I think Monica Seles would have been up there if not for the crazy Steffi Graf fan stabbing her with a knife. That's an unfortunate case of what might have been, one of many in sports...
Federer. Won 3 of the 4 majors at least 5x. 103 ATP titles, second only to Jimmy Connors.
I play a bit of tennis myself and I can say that Roger is definitely the most mechanically perfect tennis player I have watched, I'm not sure if that makes him the GOAT, but no one I have ever watched plays the game as consistently well and at such an elite level. Everything he does on every stroke is picture perfect. A lot of coaches tell players to watch his film especially on his forehand and serve.
Being a doubles player though my favorite players are the Bryan Brothers, winningest double team ever. I've watch many hours of their film learning their techniques. Doubles is a much more complex game than singles, much more to learn, and more difficult though less physically demanding.
Being a doubles player though my favorite players are the Bryan Brothers, winningest double team ever. I've watch many hours of their film learning their techniques. Doubles is a much more complex game than singles, much more to learn, and more difficult though less physically demanding.
Serena Williams. He's my favorite
Martina has a bigger racket than Michael Chang.
I put Rafa as #1 but respect any opinion, including Don Budge.
To me Rafa’s prime fell between Roger and Novak so he had to carve out his 20 slams a bit more difficultly. But I think Novak will end up with the slam record in 2-3 years time if he has no major injuries.
Correction: Rafa leads the H2H in majors against both Roger (10-4) and Novak (10-6).
To me Rafa’s prime fell between Roger and Novak so he had to carve out his 20 slams a bit more difficultly. But I think Novak will end up with the slam record in 2-3 years time if he has no major injuries.
Correction: Rafa leads the H2H in majors against both Roger (10-4) and Novak (10-6).
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Are Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic still dominating in their 30s because they're the three greatest of all time who just happened to all play at the same time? Or because the generation that followed them has been a complete and total bust for 10 years?
Easy...Andy Murray.
A close second will be Jannik Sinner. Get at me in 20 years.
BTW, Funky...Federer went without a major in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and again in 2019, 2020, surely 2021...
A close second will be Jannik Sinner. Get at me in 20 years.
BTW, Funky...Federer went without a major in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and again in 2019, 2020, surely 2021...
Well I think if you look at the men’s game, the greatest talents of the open era kind of just gave up when or before they got old. Sampras had a bad back and iron deficiency, he was ready to go out. Agassi was always a bit of a mental chump, basically quit mid career. Borg left the game at 26 cause he lost a couple major finals. McEnroe took two 6 month sabbaticals in his prime and was never in great shape. Connors stuck around but was limited physically and played with a horrific racquet, and was a head case. Lendl stuck around but also was limited mentally as Chang showed (and his horrid finals record showed).
So really what you have is the old guys aren’t giving up like they used to. Keep in mind Federer, Nadal and Djokovic all won their first finals playing against first time slam finalists. What a blessing that was, to get that mental monkey off their back on the first try against relatively weak competition! These young guys usually have to go against these legends, sometimes back to back, to win their first slam.
I love what Novak said before the AO final this year: “I’m not going to stand here and hand it over to them. I’m going to make them work their *** off for that.”
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He played until he was 36 and won a Slam right before he turned 33.
I’m talking about before that, when he had multiple slumps, partially because of injuries but also mentally dumb stuff like using crystal meth lol.
Perhaps I’m being a bit unfair to Andre, however Pete Sampras lived in his head rent free for a good 20 years, I think of that there’s no doubt.
I remember this idiotic quote from his book, as he was shaking Sampras hand at the net having lost the USO final, he claims to have been thinking: I may have lost, but I saw him give a bad tip the other night at the restaurant, so at least I’m not a horrible person!
I guess Andre was the original “champion of life”, Butch Jones would be proud.
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Really good question.
Men:
Laver has to be mentioned as he won the GS twice in his career. Plus, had to sit out several (4?) years in the prime of his career because he wasn't allowed to play any GS as he was a professional. In fact, I think he won the GS the year before his exile was imposed and just a year or two after he was allowed to play in the GS events again. So, it's not out of the question to think he may have won another 8+ GS tournaments and be at the 20 or so level. With the changes in the equipment and style of play, hard to really compare with anyone in today's game but he was so dominant for such a long time, you have to include him in the conversation.
Federer, of course.
Nadal, of course.
Joker, of course.
Borg perhaps as he quit while still pretty young, 26, had already accumulated 11 GS titles (almost no one played the Australian back then for some reason) and surely could have won at least a few more if he'd played into his 30s. Throw in a few AO titles (if he'd chosen to play the tourney) and he'd be in the upper teens.
Sampras maybe - never won the French but owned Wimbledon and US Open.
Female:
Serena, obviously.
Martina - maybe even more dominant in her prime than Serena.
Steffi, obviously.
Margaret Court, obviously.
My picks: Federer by a hair over, in order, Laver, Joker and Nadal (I'd put him last just because the majority of his GS wins are on one surface on which he's the GOAT).
Serena just a hair over Martina.
Men:
Laver has to be mentioned as he won the GS twice in his career. Plus, had to sit out several (4?) years in the prime of his career because he wasn't allowed to play any GS as he was a professional. In fact, I think he won the GS the year before his exile was imposed and just a year or two after he was allowed to play in the GS events again. So, it's not out of the question to think he may have won another 8+ GS tournaments and be at the 20 or so level. With the changes in the equipment and style of play, hard to really compare with anyone in today's game but he was so dominant for such a long time, you have to include him in the conversation.
Federer, of course.
Nadal, of course.
Joker, of course.
Borg perhaps as he quit while still pretty young, 26, had already accumulated 11 GS titles (almost no one played the Australian back then for some reason) and surely could have won at least a few more if he'd played into his 30s. Throw in a few AO titles (if he'd chosen to play the tourney) and he'd be in the upper teens.
Sampras maybe - never won the French but owned Wimbledon and US Open.
Female:
Serena, obviously.
Martina - maybe even more dominant in her prime than Serena.
Steffi, obviously.
Margaret Court, obviously.
My picks: Federer by a hair over, in order, Laver, Joker and Nadal (I'd put him last just because the majority of his GS wins are on one surface on which he's the GOAT).
Serena just a hair over Martina.
