Deciding who is the GOAT of tennis is the issue that has most excited and divided fans and enthusiasts throughout history, especially in the last twenty years with the almost unchallenged domination of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The last to express himself on this topic was Marc Rosset, the former Olympic gold medalist at the Barcelona Games in 1992, in an interview with Tennis Magazin.
“It all depends on what it means to be the best. If you look at the numbers of Slams won, then Nadal and Djokovic are better. If you look at the player who has the most influence in this sport, for me it is Federer. A lot of what constitutes this sport today, like the attention or the prize money, we owe to him. In basketball there was a before and after with Michael Jordan. People who love Federer say he is the GOAT, but those who are crazy about Novak will tell you that Nole is the best. Then there are the supporters of Rafa: they say directly that he has won everything,” he explained.
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Among the Middle Generation, one of the athletes watched with particular attention by the 53-year-old from Geneva is Alexander Zverev.
“When Sascha plays aggressively, he is the most dominant player for me. If he plays like he did against Nadal at Roland Garros, he can beat any player. He has beaten Roger and Novak in important tournaments, he hits missiles, he can move along the baseline and accelerate the ball at any time. He also covers the court like Djokovic and if he plays aggressively the game is in his hands. I love this guy, he moves incredibly despite his size,” he added.
10 @rogerfederer shots that defied science pic.twitter.com/JgG9OvqtoE
— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) July 23, 2024
Paris, 2006: 20-year-old Nadal faces 19-year-old Djokovic for the very first time
Paris, 2024: Back in the same city, 38-year-old Nadal faces 37-year-old Djokovic for a 60th time
Timeless. pic.twitter.com/WCoFhW8ubd
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 28, 2024