"Difficult not to say from numbers that Novak Djokovic is the best; however, I would go for Roger Federer" - Andreas Seppi
Former Italian tennis player Andreas Seppi has weighed in on the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate surrounding Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic's triumph at the 2023 French Open saw him claim his record 23rd Grand Slam title, surpassing Nadal's tally of 22. He is currently competing at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships and has advanced to the semifinals. The seven-time champion is inching closer to equaling Federer's title record at the grasscourt Major.
His growing list of achievements has intensified the debate surrounding the best claim to the GOAT title.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Andreas Seppi asserted that when taking a look at the statistics, it was hard to deny the Serb's status as the greatest player of all time.
"If you really go by the numbers, then you have to say Djokovic. He has the most Grand Slams, he won all the Masters 1000 events, he has the most weeks at No. 1.. So, it's difficult not to say from the numbers that Djokovic is the best," he said.
However, the former World No. 18 also expressed his personal preference for Federer, citing not only his technique and style but also his ability to engage people in the sport.
"However, as an athlete, as a person, and in general, how he involves people in tennis, I would go for Roger Federer due to his style and technique, everybody loved it. I would say he was the most elegant and the most loved player on tour," he said.
The Italian made a special mention of Nadal's fighting spirit before reiterating that the Serb took the crown when it came down to the numbers.
"And, of course, Nadal, with his fighting spirit and the matches he turned around was unbelievable, and people loved it. But as I said, from numbers, you have to pick Djokovic," Seppi added.
"Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were almost impossible to beat" - Andreas Seppi
During the interview, Andreas Seppi also reflected on the toughest opponents he faced in his career. He recalled his challenging experience of competing against left-handers, despite his favorable results against them.
"It's difficult to say but I really never liked playing against left-handers, who serve big and come to the net. I always hated it. But at the same time, I also had decent results against them. Somehow during these matches, I could figure out how to handle it," Seppi said.
"But yes, I think it's always not very easy playing a leftie in general because they have different speeds and their serve is not easy to return I didn't really have a player where I could say okay against this player, I find it very tough."
The Italian also emphasized the difficulty in taking on Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, especially in Grand Slam tournaments.
"Of course, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, who were almost impossible to beat especially in the in the big tournaments, but other than that I had decent results against other players," he said.
Over the course of his career, Andreas Seppi faced Federer 15 times, trailing 1-14 in their head-to-head. He held a 1-8 head-to-head record against Nadal and a 0-12 record against the Serb.