Two out of the ‘Big 3’ in the tennis world have already called an end to their professional career. Still, there seems to be no end to the GOAT debate! November 19 will forever be etched as a bittersweet day in the history of the racquet sport. On that day, one of the biggest stars of the game, Rafael Nadal bid adieu to the court in front of his home fans in Malaga. Several tennis legends, including Mats Wilander, admitted that he couldn’t believe the “nightmare” news at first, but then the decision was already made. According to Wilander, Nadal has become the most important player in tennis’s history, but is he the GOAT in the tennis world?

Speaking about creating a legacy in the tennis world, we heard Rafael Nadal say, “I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one…I understand that the love I have received if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same.” What does the 60-year-old tennis legend, Mats Wilander think about Rafael Nadal’s magical aura which went well beyond his achievements?

Well, while speaking on this during a conversation at the Eurosport, Wilander sparked a bit of the GOAT debate. What did he say? According to Mats Wilander, “Nadal is perhaps the most important tennis player we’ve ever had, male or female because the legacy he leaves is not to be the best of all time. He may not be the greatest of all time, but he is the most important because of his attitude, his fighting spirit.” Rafael Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam titles in his career and that’s two more than Roger Federer but it’s also two less than the Serb, Novak Djokovic.

Reflecting more on Rafael Nadal’s contribution to the tennis world, he added, “If someone plays tennis, the first thing you hope is that he plays with the same attitude as Rafael Nadal, whether you win or lose, whether you play smart or you don’t play smart. But with that attitude, I’m completely satisfied. He’s a dream athlete. I say he’s one of the most important athletes of all time, and he proved it to me once again in the Davis Cup.“

Rafael Nadal ended his career with a straight-set defeat to the Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the QF of the Davis Cup. Perhaps that’s not the way he would’ve wanted to finish his career, but at the same time, a loss definitely cannot undermine a 23-year-long legacy, right? Although, Wilander said Nadal “may not be the greatest of all time“, do you know in one of his previous interviews, he spoke about what he likes most about his game in comparison to the other two in the ‘Big 3.’

In 2022, during an interview, Mats Wilander revealed, “We see that he trusts his variations more than when he was 22 or 23 years old. I find his (Rafael Nadal’s) tennis more fun than Roger’s or Novak’s.” However, he is also a big admirer of the Serb who has time and again proved his mettle in front of Nadal and Federer. What did he say while drawing a comparison of Novak Djokovic with the other two in the ‘Big 3’?

Former ATP pro highlights the basic difference between Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

In June 2024, during a conversation, Mats Wilander explained what is different about Novak Djokovic‘s game in comparison to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. According to Wilander, “With Novak, what we didn’t realize is that there were no weaknesses anywhere in his game on any surface. I think it took a while for everybody to understand that he doesn’t have weaknesses. Federer has a weakness. Nadal has weaknesses. Djokovic doesn’t really have a weakness.”

Then a few months later, he was yet again spotted praising Novak Djokovic’s legacy vs Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s! While speaking to Eurosport, the tennis legend said, “I think Novak is on a different journey than worrying about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in a way…‘I mean, sad in a way, but he lived through the storm. Yes, he’s younger than both Roger and Rafa, and Andy [Murray] and him, I think, are the same age or pretty close, but he survived it all. He is the winningest male tennis player ever. I think he would just be proud.” According to him, is Djokovic then the stand out over the rest in the ‘Big 3’? Well, here’s the twist in the tale, then!

However, recently, he also shared a wish featuring Rafael Nadal. We all know Andy Murray has joined Novak Djokovic’s team recently and now Mats Wilander wants Rafael Nadal to take up a similar role. Who does he want Nadal to team up with, though? According to Wilander, “It is very possible that Nadal will return as a coach. I can even imagine him coaching Alcaraz.” He believes Rafael Nadal can make a significant impact on Alcaraz’s tennis career. Do you feel the same, though?