Novak Djokovic placed Rafael Nadal ahead of Roger Federer in a blind ranking challenge of the greatest tennis players of all time. The Serbian star, who has won 24 Grand Slam titles, was asked by DAZN in the build-up to the 2025 Miami Open to rank five players without knowing the next name to appear.
The Blind Ranking Order
Djokovic placed Pete Sampras third, Rafael Nadal first, Andre Agassi fourth, Roger Federer second, and Andy Murray fifth. The ranking highlights his respect for Nadal, who finished his career with 22 major titles, while Federer retired with 20. Djokovic remains active at age 39, having amassed 24 Grand Slams.
Perspectives from Other Tennis Stars
Former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic described Djokovic as the most daunting opponent. "When you played with Roger, you knew what you had to do, but there were a lot of moments where it wasn't up to you. This guy could make you look very, very bad," Raonic told the Changeover podcast.
"With Rafa, it wasn't obvious whether you had the opportunity to win the match. Before you stepped on the court, you knew you were going to give it your all because he would be there until the last point," Raonic added. "And then the unique thing with Novak was like, even watching other players play him a lot, you get in the rallies, you do all these things right, Novak does this thing where he plays down the middle a lot more than everybody else, but then just takes away angles from you."
Bjorn Borg and Tim Henman Weigh In
Eleven-time Grand Slam champion Bjorn Borg declared Djokovic the greatest of all time. "I think the way he's playing, Djokovic, for me, is the greatest player to have ever played the game. And then the second place comes to Federer and Nadal," Borg said.
Former British world No. 4 Tim Henman reached a similar conclusion. "In third place I would go for Roger Federer. Winner of 20 Grand Slam titles, eight Wimbledons, played so well on every surface, just how easy he made the game look with his footwork, but also his technique. That one-handed backhand was always a pleasure to watch," Henman said.
Henman placed Nadal second, citing his unparalleled record at Roland Garros. "He won 22 Grand Slams, 14 French Opens. We often talk about records are there to be broken, but I'm convinced that 14 singles titles at Roland Garros will never be broken," he said. Henman concluded: "Greatest male player of all time is Novak Djokovic. What he's done, winning every Grand Slam a minimum three times. He's won 24 majors, going for his 25th here in Roland Garros. He's the best player that I've ever seen."
