Who is the Greatest Tennis Player Ever?
Novak Djokovic (pronounced Jo-ko-vich) is the greatest tennis player of all time, and anyone who thinks otherwise is being disingenuous or pedantic. Djokovic has two great rivals: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. All three have a claim to greatest ever status, but Djokovic stands alone in terms of cumulative achievement.
Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, called tennis' "Big 3," have dominated tennis in unprecedented ways and ushered in a golden era for the sport. They have been especially dominant at majors, also called Grand Slams, which are the most coveted and difficult to win. There are four majors, and each occurs once per year: the Australian Open, Roland Garros (the French Open), Wimbledon, and the US Open. Before the Big 3, Pete Sampras was considered the greatest player ever; he'd won 14 majors. Now, at the time of writing, Federer is retired with 20 slams, Nadal has 22, and Djokovic has 24.
The arguments against Djokovic’s all-time status are slim. He owns statistical advantages that his rivals will never catch. Most importantly, he has winning records against both Federer and Nadal. Secondly, his career winning percentage, about 83% at the time of writing, is the highest ever. Djokovic is also the only player in professional tennis history to win each slam three times* and has reigned as the world's top player longer than anyone else in history.
* Rod Laver achieved this feat twice, but 4 of his titles occurred in 1962 when professional tennis players were barred from playing in major tournaments.
Arguments Against Djokovic
Despite the empirical evidence, some tennis fans argue that Djokovic's claim to all-time greatness is not concrete. Statistically, there are few arguments that support Federer and Nadal's supremacy. Sure, they've done better at the Olympics, and won more doubles titles. Federer has more singles titles than Djokovic (barely). But do these statistics really disprove Djokovic's all-time supremacy?
No, but some fans and pundits will still argue that Roger Federer is the greatest ever, citing his peak years as proof. During these years, namely 2004 to 2007, Roger Federer was, literally, a phenomenon. Over four years, Federer won 11 majors, reached 10 consecutive major finals, and reigned as the world's top player for 237 consecutive weeks. He also won 5 consecutive Wimbledon and and 5 consecutive US Open titles. Then and now, these achievements are unbelievable, even to Djokovic fans.
Federer's proponents make a valid argument that no player has ever been as good or will ever be as good as he was during his peak. Most greatest-ever arguments assess cumulative achievements, but the simple fact is that Roger Federer, between 2004 and 2007, was indisputably the greatest player the world has ever seen. At the very least, the records he set during this period should keep him in the conversation.
Djokovic's (Un)Popularity and How it Affects His Legacy
Other arguments against Djokovic are mostly semantic and emotionally charged. Djokovic, fairly or not, is not as well-liked as his rivals. During his career, Djokovic has been involved in a number of scandals. He's promoted an anti-vaccine stance (not just for Covid but all vaccines) among other quack science and conspiracy theories. He has made political statements about the status of Kosovo. His behavior on the court sometimes seems bratty and arrogant, and even led to a disqualification at the US Open in 2020. And his statements in the media sometimes seem calculated, pandering, or conceited.
Avid tennis fans believe that a professional tennis player's job goes beyond winning matches. A professional tennis player represents tennis, its values, fans, and culture. Djokovic is only human; he's handled himself like a professional most of the time and represented tennis well during his career. But not nearly as well as Federer and Nadal.
Tennis is a sport and a culture. Through its fans and players, tennis views itself as a sort of dichotomy. On the one hand, it's a contest of grace and skill. On the other, it's a contest of athleticism and determination. Together, Federer and Nadal represent this duality perfectly. Federer is the most graceful and skilled player ever. Nadal is the most athletic and dogged. Both are spectacularly entertaining to watch and have maintained immaculate reputations for sportsmanship. Djokovic, by comparison, is boring and calculated.
The premise of the semantic argument is the greatest tennis player ever must represent tennis better than anyone else. If this premise is true, Djokovic is not history's greatest player. Although he may represent tennis relatively well, Federer is the greatest (even by Nadal’s admission) while Nadal has done almost as much more to represent, elevate, and promote tennis around the world.
Final Thoughts
Considering his remarkable backstory and untiring work rate on the court, Novak Djokovic should be one of tennis' most beloved figures. He has some minor flaws, but also one major one: he's not Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.
When Djokovic rose to prominence, Federer and Nadal had been entangled in an epic rivalry for more than two years. Fans were already deeply entrenched on one side or the other when Djokovic won his first major in 2008. More than a decade later, Djokovic has become a bona fide icon. Statistically, he's the greatest ever by some margin, and statistics matter a lot. But these statistics and claims to greatness will always have an asterisk. When the dust settles on their careers, Djokovic will have failed at matching his rivals in one crucial area: Federer and Nadal are - and always were - better reasons to watch tennis.
