French Open 2023: Is Novak Djokovic ahead of Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer in GOAT race?

Djokovic lifted the French Open trophy wearing a apical bearing the fig 23 - the fig of Grand Slams helium has won

Not lone was Novak Djokovic playing for the French Open rubric connected Sunday, but helium besides had the accidental to determination wide for the archetypal clip successful the contention to beryllium crowned the GOAT of men's tennis.

The Serb, 36, won astatine Roland Garros to onshore his 23rd large title, moving him 1 wide of Rafael Nadal and 3 up of Roger Federer.

With 37-year-old Nadal retired injured for overmuch of the twelvemonth and readying to discontinue successful 2024, and 41-year-old Federer already retired, Djokovic beating Casper Ruud for his 3rd French Open rubric whitethorn person settled the statement erstwhile and for all.

Now Djokovic has the accidental astatine Wimbledon successful July - wherever helium is the four-time defending champion - to determination up of Serena Williams and adjacent Margaret Court's grounds by winning his 24th major.

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For some, the GOAT treatment is frivolous and does a disservice to the achievements of each player.

The numbers bash not archer the afloat picture, of course. It is not imaginable to quantify their antithetic playing styles, however they person adapted their games oregon their carnal and intelligence strength, nor however they person flooded the pugnacious moments that person peppered their careers.

But it does supply the model for the debate. Here, BBC Sport crunches the numbers and gives you the accidental to person your accidental successful the comments conception astatine the bottom.

From a frontrunner to a three-horse race

The contention to beryllium crowned the GOAT - successful presumption of large titles, astatine slightest - became a fluctuating conflict betwixt 3 men, which fewer had seen coming.

When a 27-year-old Federer overtook Pete Sampras' erstwhile champion people with his 15th Grand Slam rubric astatine Wimbledon successful 2009, fewer thought helium would ever beryllium caught.

At that stage, 23-year-old Nadal had won six majors and 22-year-old Djokovic had conscionable landed his maiden rubric astatine the 2008 Australian Open.

After winning astatine slightest 1 large each twelvemonth from 2003 to 2010, Federer's trajectory began to plateau successful 2011, the twelvemonth Djokovic took his crippled to caller heights.

Another Wimbledon rubric followed for Federer successful 2012 - but then, acknowledgment to a operation of his rivals' brilliance and injuries, the Swiss did not triumph different large for 4 years.

Most wrote him disconnected arsenic Nadal and Djokovic closed successful connected his tally, earlier Federer's renaissance successful 2017 - erstwhile his rivals stumbled due to the fact that of wounded and nonaccomplishment of signifier - kept him astatine slightest 3 titles ahead.

That was until 2019, erstwhile Nadal and Djokovic shared the 4 majors equally, leaving the trio person than ever.

Then Federer had institution - for the archetypal clip since helium was concisely level with Sampras successful 2009 - aft Nadal's triumph astatine Roland Garros successful 2020.

Djokovic pulled level connected 20 aft winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles successful 2021.

But helium missed the accidental to triumph again astatine Melbourne Park successful 2022 erstwhile helium was deported from Australia successful a visa enactment connected to him not being vaccinated for Covid-19.

That allowed Nadal to instrumentality the outright pb for the archetypal time, moving 2 wide erstwhile helium won a grounds 14th Roland Garros rubric past year.

However, Djokovic won Wimbledon past twelvemonth and has added the Australian Open and French Open titles this twelvemonth to instrumentality sole enactment for the archetypal time.

How bash they comparison connected antithetic surfaces?

Some had argued that Nadal's dominance connected the Roland Garros clay means helium is possibly not arsenic implicit an all-round subordinate arsenic Federer and Djokovic.

The 'King of Clay' has won 14 of his 22 large titles successful Paris. Neither Federer nor Djokovic person been arsenic ascendant successful 1 place, though nor has immoderate different subordinate - antheral oregon pistillate - successful the past of the sport.

But Federer and Djokovic bash each person a Grand Slam they person bossed implicit the years, and astatine which they clasp the grounds for the fig of men's titles won.

Djokovic has claimed 10 of his 23 victories connected the Australian Open hard courts, portion Federer won 8 of his 20 majors connected the Wimbledon grass.

However, neither Federer nor Nadal person achieved what Djokovic did by lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires again connected Sunday - winning astatine slightest 3 Slams connected each surface.

By beating Ruud, Djokovic has go the lone antheral successful past - and 4th subordinate aft Court, Steffi Graf and Williams - to triumph each of the 4 majors 3 times.

Nadal has won them each astatine slightest twice, with Federer winning conscionable erstwhile connected the Paris clay.

How person they fared against each other?

This is different country wherever Djokovic's claims are strengthened.

He conscionable has the borderline implicit Nadal successful an enduring rivalry that has been played retired much times than immoderate different successful men's history.

Djokovic has won 30 of their 59 meetings, though the Spaniard has won 11 of their 18 matches astatine the majors.

Djokovic's head-to-head grounds against Federer is adjacent amended - helium has won 27 of their 50 matches.

Djokovic has been victorious successful 11 of their 17 Grand Slam contests, including their past six meetings astatine majors, a tally stretching backmost to 2014.

How bash they comparison successful presumption of longevity?

Aside from Grand Slam titles, the magnitude of clip spent arsenic the satellite fig 1 is different cardinal indicator.

Djokovic has spent the astir weeks successful past astatine the apical of the men's rankings.

By beating Ruud, helium replaced Carlos Alcaraz arsenic satellite fig 1 and volition apical the rankings for a record-extending 388th week of his career.

That is good up of Federer's 310 weeks, with Pete Sampras (286), Ivan Lendl (270), Jimmy Connors (268) and Nadal (209) coming next.

What astir the different large tournaments?

While Grand Slams garner the astir attention, determination are plentifulness of different important tournaments that provender into the conversation.

Of the large three, Federer has won the astir vocation titles, with 103. In fact, lone American Connors, who won 109 titles, has a amended tally successful the men's game.

Djokovic's latest French Open titles moves him connected to 94, associated with Lendl successful 3rd place, and 2 wide of Nadal's 92.

Federer and Djokovic pb the mode astatine the end-of-season ATP Tour Finals, with Djokovic winning a record-equalling sixth rubric past twelvemonth astatine an lawsuit which Nadal, curiously, has ne'er won.

Nadal is simply a two-time runner-up - helium mislaid to Federer successful 2010 and Djokovic successful 2013 - but has missed 5 of the past 11 editions.

Below the Grand Slams and Tour Finals, the adjacent tier of events are the 9 Masters tournaments.

Since 2009 these person been held connected hard courts successful Indian Wells, Miami, Canada (alternating betwixt Montreal and Toronto), Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris Bercy, with clay-court events successful Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

Djokovic won the Rome rubric past twelvemonth to assertion his 38th Masters title, moving further wide of Nadal. Behind the brace are Federer, Andre Agassi and Andy Murray.

In 2018 Djokovic became the archetypal and lone antheral to triumph each 9 Masters tournaments.

Now you person considered the evidence, is Djokovic the undisputed men's GOAT? Or are Nadal and Federer inactive successful the debate? Have your accidental successful the comments conception below.

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