Roger Federer Is Retiring, But Nadal, Djokovic And The GOAT Debate Will Rage On

SportsMoney Roger Federer Is Retiring, But Nadal, Djokovic And The GOAT Debate Will Rage On Adam Zagoria Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I’m a basketball and tennis insider Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Got it! Sep 17, 2022, 01:20pm EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 23: Novak Djokovic of Serbia; Rafael Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of .

. . [+] Switzerland on stage during the ATP Heritage Celebration at The Waldorf=Astoria on August 23, 2013 in New York City.

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) Getty Images After Roger Federer hit a crosscourt forehand winner that was ultimately ruled in on match point of the 2017 Australian Open final against his rival Rafael Nadal, John McEnroe proclaimed on ESPN, “Roger Federer has solidified himself as the Greatest of All Time. ” At that moment, it was hard to argue with Johnny Mac. Federer, then 35, stood at 18 Grand Slam singles titles compared with 14 for Nadal (and Pete Sampras) and 12 for Novak Djokovic (and Roy Emerson).

Federer would go on to win two more Slams — at Wimbledon later on in 2017, a year in which he also won titles in Indian Wells, Miami and Shanghai — and again in his age-37 year at the 2018 Australian Open. In 2018, he also became the oldest man ever to hold the world No. 1 ranking.

Of course, the GOAT debate has continued to evolve since McEnroe made his proclamation and figures to continue to rage on even with Federer departing the game. On Thursday, Federer, now 41, announced his retirement following next week’s Laver Cup in London. MORE FOR YOU WWE Extreme Rules 2021 Results: Winners, News And Notes As Roman Reigns Beats The Demon The World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2021: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo Reclaims Top Spot From PSG’s Lionel Messi The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Green Bay Packers’ Win Over The San Francisco 49ers Nadal, 36, and Djokovic, 35, continue to play and have dominated the game in recent years.

Of the 22 majors since that 2017 Australian Open final, Djokovic (9) and Nadal (8) have combined to win 17. Nadal, who won the Australian and French Opens this season, stands at 22 heading into 2023, while Djokovic, who won Wimbledon and was not allowed to play in the Australian or U. S.

Opens due to his vaccination status, remains at 21. FILE – Defending champion Roger Federer, right, holds the winners trophy with runner up Rafael Nadal . .

. [+] of Spain after the Men’s Singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Sunday July 9, 2006. Federer won the match 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3.

Federer announced Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022 he is retiring from tennis. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File) Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.

All rights reserved Just as few could have foreseen those totals just a few years ago, it’s impossible to know how the ultimate Grand Slam tally will look. Will Nadal keep playing, win another French Open or two, and wind up with 23 or 24? Or will his impending fatherhood draw him away from the game and into a family life that means he will no longer compete for Grand Slam titles? “Now I just want to go home, I have more important things to care about than tennis,” Nadal told the Spanish press after losing to Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round of the U. S.

Open. “I have to fix a major thing like having my first son. ” Will Djokovic play for another five years — as some have suggested — and finish with 25 or 26 majors — or more.

Or will new world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz , who has “reached only 60% of his potential,” according to his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, and the younger guns start to dominate the game and push Djokovic and Nadal off their pedestal? “The ordeal [Djokovic] went through this year in Australia only extended his career,” Goran Djokovic, Novak’s uncle, said recently. “Instead of maybe retiring from tennis in three or four years, his career has been extended for five, or six years.

He is resting his body. ” Djokovic is the youngest of the “Big 3,” and keeps himself in incredible condition. If he’s able to play at the majors for the next several years and finishes with 25 or 26 Slams, he may put an exclamation point on the GOAT debate.

But what if his vaccination status — or other issues — prevent him from playing at as many Slams as possible? He’s already missed two this season and who knows how that will play out going forward? “I think that the more this saga, Rafa, Novak and Roger, the GOAT between them with all that’s happening to Novak, that race is becoming irrelevant because he’s not allowed to play,” Mats Wilander said ahead of the U. S. Open.

FILE – In this Sept. 12, 2021, file photo, Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Daniil . .

. [+] Medvedev, of Russia, during the men’s singles final of the U. .

S. Open tennis championships in New York. Djokovic will not play in the U.

S. Open, as expected, because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and thus is not allowed to travel to the United States. Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the year’s last Grand Slam tournament on Twitter on Thursday, Aug.

25, 2022, hours before the draw for the event was revealed. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) Associated Press There is also the issue of whether Grand Slam titles should be the sole — or major — determinant of GOAT status. It’s worth remembering that players like Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe rarely played the Australian Open in their Era due to travel and schedule issues.

Margaret Court won 11 of her 24 majors at the Australian (against much smaller fields), but most observers think Serena Williams — and her 23 majors — was the superior player. That goes for Steffi Graf (22 majors) and Martina Navratilova (18), too. In a deep-dive in the New York Time s NYT , Victor Mather examined multiple categories in addition to Grand Slam singles titles — including overall Grand slam performances, versatility and head-to-head, and determined that Nadal led in five categories, Djokovic in four and Federer three.

For example, Nadal leads in winning percentage at the Slams (. 882) over Djokovic (. 877) and Federer (.

860) and at other tournaments (. 833) over Djokovic (. 832) and Federer (.

820). Under the Times scoring system of awarding 6 points for a Slam title, 3 for a finals appearance and 1 for a semifinals appearance, Djokovic leads with 170 points, followed by Federer (168) and then Nadal (164). In overall head-to-head, Djokovic holds the edge.

He is 30-29 over Nadal and 27-23 over Federer. Nadal leads Federer, 24-16. FILE – Switzerland’s Roger Federer waves during a 100 years of Centre Court celebration on day seven .

. . [+] of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, on July 3, 2022.

Federer announced Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022 he is retiring from tennis. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

All rights reserved And what about money? Per my Forbes colleague Brett Knight: “The Swiss ace has collected $131 million in prize money since turning pro in 1998 8 , third in ATP ATP Tour TOUR2 history behind Djokovic’s $159 million and Nadal’s $132 million. Off the court, however, it’s no contest. Federer has made roughly $1 billion (before taxes and agents’ fees) across his career just from his endorsements and other business endeavors, according to Forbes estimates.

He remains sports’ top pitchman, with $90 million in annual off-court earnings, $10 10 million ahead of No. 2 LeBron James. ” Still, are numbers really everything when it comes to GOAT status? For Federer fans — and many tennis observers — he was the most aesthetically pleasing and graceful of the “Big 3” and perhaps ever.

And that should count for something. “Nadal and Djokovic are amazing, but Federer is unique,” French veteran Richard Gasquet said. “His one-handed backhand, his elegance and technique.

. . He might be the greatest sportsman of all time.

” As far as being a role model on and off the court, it is hard to top Federer there, either. “Federer is the epitome of what you would want your kid to be when they grew up,” McEnroe said. “And he’s the most beautiful player I’ve ever watched play.

I idolized (Rod) Laver. He is kind of an updated Laver to me. ” The bottom line is the GOAT debate remains open at least until Nadal and Djokovic are done playing.

If one of them winds up with 25 or 26 majors and leaves the others in the dust, it may be hard to argue against that person. Of course, it may also be useless to focus on the idea that one person can ever be the GOAT. “I would encourage us to talk about sheeps rather than GOATs,” 1999 U.

S. Open finalist Todd Martin told me at a recent event for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. “There’s no such thing, there’s no such thing.

. . .

It’s easier to identify who are the best, as opposed to who is the best. ” “To me personally, I don’t care who end up with the most Slams,” Wilander added. “We are going to define this as best three tennis players on the men’s side of the sport.

” Follow me on Twitter . Check out my website . Adam Zagoria Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.