The return of Wimbledon and the BBC's daily coverage of tennis' greatest tournament brings with it the return of the biggest debate in sport: who is the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT)? It is a loaded question given how many unbelievable players the men's and women's games have had. Do you pick based on stats? On who dominated the most? On who won the most Grand Slams? Or on who you enjoyed watching the most—the one who made you fall in love with tennis?
The Case for Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is looking to certify himself as the men's GOAT, at least statistically, with a 25th Grand Slam. Nobody has ever won more than 24, a record the Serb holds with Margaret Court. Djokovic remains in the draw at Wimbledon this year, now into the quarter-final stage. The 39-year-old veteran has not won a major since the 2023 US Open, losing two Grand Slam finals and five semi-finals since then—most of them to the younger duo of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. However, Djokovic is the only man in history to be the reigning champion of all four majors, across three different playing surfaces, at the same time. He has also won the Career Grand Slam an incredible three times.
Serena Williams: A Legend Returns
Also back to Wimbledon this year was Serena Williams. She failed to win but just playing her first singles match in four years was an achievement, given that the American is now 44 and only had another baby in 2023. Serena is the only player to accomplish a Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. But she is not the most successful woman of all time. That accolade goes to Margaret Court, who in total lifted 64 major titles—19 in women's doubles and another 21 in mixed doubles.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal: Grace and Clay
The great Roger Federer also watched on from the Royal Box at SW19 this week. Though he finished on 20 Slams—four less than Djokovic—many argue the Swiss is the GOAT. Federer played with a grace and style almost unparalleled. His great rival, Rafael Nadal, also has a strong claim to the crown. A 23-time Slam winner, nobody has won the same major more times than Nadal did at the French Open—14 times. No wonder he's named 'the King of Clay.' His rivalry with Federer was arguably the best the sport has ever seen.
Have Your Say
Now it's time for you to let us know your verdict in our poll above. Everyone has an opinion on the tennis GOAT debate, and there's no definitive answer. Or is there?
