Novak Djokovic ranked Rafael Nadal above Roger Federer in a blind ranking challenge of the greatest male tennis players of all time. The Serbian star, who has won 24 Grand Slam titles, placed Nadal first, Federer second, Pete Sampras third, Andre Agassi fourth, and Andy Murray fifth.
Blind Ranking Challenge at Miami Open
Speaking to DAZN ahead of the 2025 Miami Open, Djokovic was asked to rank five players without knowing which name would come next. The first name drawn was Pete Sampras, whom Djokovic placed third. Nadal came next and was ranked top, followed by Agassi at fourth, Federer second, and Murray fifth.
Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer are the only male players to have won 20 or more Grand Slam titles. Federer finished his career with 20 in September 2022, Nadal retired with 22 in November 2024, and Djokovic, now 39, continues to add to his tally of 24.
Ongoing GOAT Debate
The greatest-of-all-time debate remains a hot topic in tennis. Former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic described the unique challenges posed by each of the Big Three. “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.”
“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.”
Borg and Henman Weigh In
Tennis icon Bjorn Borg, an 11-time Grand Slam winner, said: “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.”
Former world No. 4 Tim Henman also shared his rankings. “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. He placed Nadal second, citing his 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.” 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.”
