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John McEnroe puts perfect end to GOAT debate on Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

The three won 62 of the last 76 Grand Slams in men's tennis with Nadal (22) leading the Slam list followed by Djokovic (21) and Federer (20). And ahead of the latter's final ATP tournament of his career, tennis legend McEnroe put a perfect end to the long-standing GOAT debate.

Published on: Sep 21, 2022, 09:25:22 IST
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There is and will never be an end to the discussion on who is the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in tennis. From John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras the discussion had shifted to the trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the turn of the century and such was their dominance throughout the last two decades that no other tennis player managed to make their way into the discussion. The three won 62 of the last 76 Grand Slams in men's tennis with Nadal (22) leading the Slam list followed by Djokovic (21) and Federer (20). And ahead of the latter's final ATP tournament of his career, tennis legend McEnroe put a perfect end to the long-standing GOAT debate.

Rafael Nadal with Roger Federer; Novak Djokovic
Rafael Nadal with Roger Federer; Novak Djokovic

“The greatest grass court player of all time is Roger [Federer], the greatest hard court player is Novak [Djokovic] and the greatest clay court player is Rafa [Nadal],” said McEnroe.

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Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg, who was part of the same discussion, added Andy Murray to the topic as well, who won three Slams in his career and formed the famed Big Four along with the trio, who will all be part of the Laver Cup together for the first time in his career.

“It is nice to see the ‘Big Four’ - including Andy Murray – [playing] together [again]. But what they did in tennis and history, it's unbelievable.

“Yes, it is unbelievable - we can lose sight of how unbelievable it is," interjected McEnroe. "But I think in 10 years, 20 years when you look back, you're like, 'wow'. I don't think the next guy is going to win 20. Although, I didn't think any of these three would win this many.”

Federer will play his final tournament of his career in Laver Cup which begins from Friday onwards in London. He will form Team Europe along with Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud.

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