After Eurosport conducted a poll on Twitter asking their audience the GOAT among the Big Three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic – a clear winner prevailed with more than 50% of the votes. The winner was Novak Djokovic, who got 51% of the total votes expressed by 4662 respondents.
Federer on the GOAT comparison
Some think the GOAT debate should be settled by the Grand Slam title number, while some argue that Federer is “the tennis” and that he’s the GOAT no matter what.
“People always like to compare. I see it every day with my twins. Without wanting, you compare them. You shouldn’t — ever,” Federer told The Associated Press. “Naturally, we do the same in tennis. I am my own career, my own player, that needed those challenges.
They needed a challenger like myself. We made each other better. So at the end of the day, we’ll all shake hands and be like, ‘That was awesome.’ Now is somebody going to be happier than the other? I mean, in moments, maybe”.
Isner names Djokovic as the GOAT
American ace John Isner finds Novak Djokovic the toughest to face among the Big 3. “It’s probably Novak. Even though I played Rafa on clay off the top of my head, I played him on clay like four times.
I think, once at the French Open, you know, that’s one of the toughest tasks in our sport, in sports period. It’s beating that guy on clay and but even more so than that beating him at as we know Roland Garros,” he said.
Isner also recalled their 2015 China Open clash, which took place in freezing conditions. “I played him in Beijing years ago. I’m just gonna try remembering, 2015. In the quarterfinals, its a big match, a big tournament and I was fired up to play him in the quarters and going to bed that night and look on my weather app and just checking out the weather.
He had some 23 match winning streak there. I was like I’m screwed. It’s 48 degrees and heavy conditions against Novak, who never loses this tournament, There’s no shot it. I went out there, It was freezing. Freezing cold, zero free points and it was two and two. So to answer your question, it’s Novak,” he added.
