Roger Federer Might Be Tennis’ ‘Picasso’ but He Must Bow Down to Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, Say American Analysts

The GOAT debate isn’t new to the town. Its contenders – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal – have given no reason not to come atop the high-anticipated debate with their laudable run on the tour. However, with the ‘Swiss Maestro’ and the “King of Clay’ retired, insiders finally have a chance to put their accomplishments at par with one another and present a sustainable answer. They’ve done one better. Jim Courier and Federer’s ex-coach Paul Annacone have named their GOAT debate winner among the Big 3, even though Djokovic is still active.

Now it’ll be a surprise turn of events if the Swiss legend’s former coach picked someone else as the GOAT, but, that’s exactly what we’ve got. During an episode on the ‘Tennis Channel podcast, former World No. 1 Courier and Annacone echoed a similar opinion when they discussed the trio’s extensive list of achievements, as they named Djokovic as the GOAT. While their legacy, impact on the sport, and other known details need no revisit for fans, intricate aspects including their head-to-head tally create a noteworthy comparison.

Keeping such distinguishing parameters in mind, Courier highlighted that “Roger Federer, believe it or not, is my number three. I would’ve thought ten years ago Federer was unequivocally the very best and then along comes this guy, at number two, the man we’re celebrating today Rafael Nadal and he unlocked the key to getting inside Federer’s game. And then this guy at number one would end up tracking them down. A lot of comes down to me to head-to-head records as well. I think if you look at it Djokovic is slightly better against these guys.”

After ranking the trio in the successive order of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer, Annacone expressed that although he doesn’t believe in labeling a GOAT, it’s difficult to ignore the “most accomplished.” Subsequently, he presented his order of ranking for the GOAT contestants as, “Number three, the great Roger Federer. He was something spectacular, he was Picasso with a tennis racket. Number, the great Rafael Nadal. At number one, for the same reason as Jim Courier, just look at the h2hs. This guy (Djokovic) has just been a little bit better than the other two for a longer period.”

They might be right. Despite his arch-rivals drawing the curtains on their illustrious careers due to injury concerns and occasionally acting their age, Nole is still going strong. In fact, the Serb is determined to lift his Grand Slam drought from this year in 2025 as he announced a surprise partnership for the Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic teams up with Andy Murray for a blockbuster start to 2025

Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic enjoyed a modest run in the 2024 season, but, was unable to extend his winning streak at the Grand Slam stage. He lost the Wimbledon rubber to Carlos Alcaraz for the second consecutive year and was absent from a plethora of high-tier events. Hoping to inculcate a positive change in the upcoming season, Nole announced bringing his arch-rival Andy Murray as a coach, at least till the Australian Open.

He aired the update for fans saying, We played each other since we were boys, 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game-changers, risk-takers, and history-makers. I thought our story may be over, turns out it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome on board, coach Andy Murray.”

With no more touring commitments for the year in sight, Djokovic will look to recoup before he commences his 2025 campaign. With Andy on his team, Nole will likely focus on forming effective tactics against young talents like Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz.