Nick Kyrgios, who played and beat all three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, has declared which of the Big Three he considers the greatest of all time. In a social media Q&A, the Australian offered a breakdown of each player's strengths, weaknesses, and what made them different to face on court.
Kyrgios on Federer and Nadal
On Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, Kyrgios said: "Strength - ability to steal time away from opponents, also incredibly creative. Weakness - high to the backhand, was able to create short balls. Difference - played the most aggressive of the three."
Of Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion and French Open king, Kyrgios said: "Strength - incredibly physical, was almost impossible to find his backhand after his serve, which led to you being on a string."
"Weakness - struggles when someone crushes backhand cross into forehand, was able then to expose his backhand. Second serve was also at times vulnerable. Difference - ridiculous competitor, didn't know whether he was winning or losing."
Djokovic named GOAT
Djokovic, the only one of the three still playing, holds the most majors with 24. The Serbian, who turns 40 next May, has not won a Slam since 2023. Kyrgios made clear he believes Djokovic is the GOAT.
Djokovic is the only man to win each of the four Grand Slams at least three times. He also holds the record for most weeks at No.1 and is the only player to win every Masters 1000 tournament twice.
Kyrgios said: "Strength - in prime, really no holes. Loved when you played fast, loved when you pressed and didn't mind dictating. Weakness - second serve wasn't amazing, but then improved pinpoint serving. Improved volleys drastically, wasn't the best at the net. Difference - GOAT."
Sinner backed as future GOAT
Kyrgios also believes Jannik Sinner could rival Djokovic. The 25-year-old Italian has five Slams and would likely have collected more this year but for physical struggles.
Kyrgios, who lost his only previous match-up with the world No.1, called Sinner an "absolute machine" with an all-round game. "One of the best ball strikers the game has ever seen," he said. "Absolute machine from the back of the court. Is able to turn defence to offence with any shot."
"Only real weakness was his serve wasn't able to generate a ton of free points, now has improved that and is one of the best pinpoint servers we have. Hard to attack."
"Volleys weren't as natural as some of the other best players but has worked on his transition game well and is comfortable moving forward. Moves well for someone who is surprisingly tall. With more time will most likely go down as one of the GOATs."
