"Roger pushed the boundaries, then Rafa pushed him before Novak came on stage to spoil the party" - Mats Wilander on GOAT debate between Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer
Roger Federer pushed the boundaries of tennis greatness before Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic added more spice to the race to be the 'greatest of all time' in men's tennis, believes tennis great Mats Wilander. The Swede shared his views on the GOAT debate between the Big 3 before lavishing further praise on Djokovic.
The Big 3 era saw its first major retirement this season with Federer bidding goodbye to the sport at the Laver Cup in September. Both his greatest rivals were part of his farewell tournament and the images of them shedding tears after Federer's final match will live in the memory of tennis fans for a long time.
Reflecting on a healthy rivalry between the Big 3 through the last two decades, Wilander shared his assessment of how each of the three greats made their mark on the world stage. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion highlighted how Djokovic "spoiled the party" for Federer and Nadal.
"Roger pushed the boundaries, then Rafa pushed him before Novak came on stage to spoil the party," Wilander said in a recent interview with Eurosport.
Wilander also feels that each of the three years created an impact with their unique playing styles.
"Three opposing playing styles of the trio, which emerged at different times," Wilander added.
The three-time Australian Open and French Open champion also lauded the Serb for his physical and mental strength and dominance on the court.
"The guy is physically an absolute exception and emotionally an animal on the tennis court - amazing," Wilander said on Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic matches another Roger Federer's record at ATP Finals
Novak Djokovic achieved another major feat previously held by Roger Federer, winning his 6th ATP Finals title to go level with the Swiss for the all-time most titles won at the men's season-ending championships.
After going past Federer in the Grand Slam race and most weeks at the top of the rankings, this is another feather in the Serb's cap. He is second to Federer for most men's singles titles at Wimbledon and the seven-time Wimbledon winner needs two more titles to break the Swiss great's record at SW19.
The Serb will start his 2023 season at the Australian Open, where he will aim to match Rafael Nadal in the all-time Grand Slam race. The 35-year-old will not participate in the inaugural edition of the United Cup, ahead of the 2023 Australian Open.