Ilie Nastase, the first world No. 1 in ATP rankings history, has declared Rafael Nadal the greatest tennis player of all time, overlooking Novak Djokovic's record 24 Grand Slam titles and Roger Federer's 20.
Nastase's verdict on the GOAT debate
Speaking at the Festival dello Sport in Trento, the 80-year-old Romanian legend acknowledged that every generation has its own champions, singling out current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner as today's finest. Yet when asked who deserves the status of best ever, he did not hesitate to name Nadal, who claimed 22 Grand Slam titles including a record 14 French Open championships.
“I like tennis today. Every era has its champions: in my era, there was someone like [Rod] Laver, and now Sinner,” Nastase told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Why Nadal's Paris dominance matters
Nastase's assessment suggests he views Nadal's extraordinary dominance at Roland Garros as more significant than the overall number of titles won. The Spaniard, who retired in November 2024, won all of his French Open titles between 2005 and 2022, losing just three matches at the tournament during that period.
“Jannik? If you have a good serve and good movements today, you don't need much more to stand out. He doesn't play much at the net; he is very strong as he is. But the best player I have seen is still Nadal: winning 14 times in Paris is worth more than any other Grand Slam,” Nastase added.
Nadal's own view on Djokovic
However, Nadal himself claimed Djokovic was, in fact, the greatest player of all time. Speaking to AS ahead of his retirement, Nadal said: “He's a player who has managed to maintain a very high level and improve every year. The numbers show he's the best, which means his tennis has also been the best.
“And he's been the most injury-free, which allowed him to maintain his physical, mental, and tennis levels longer than anyone. That's why he's the best, and he's earned it.”
While Nadal gets Nastase's vote, the Romanian was careful to caveat his choice by declaring that you ultimately cannot compare players from different eras. “I like tennis today,” Nastase added. “Every era has its champions: in my era, there was someone like Laver, and now Sinner. You cannot compare different eras in any sport.”
