Whether you’re a tennis fan or not, countless people have heard the term “Big 3” in the world of sports. And yes, this refers to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, the three players who dominated a long era of tennis, leaving no room for anyone else to claim the throne, as they only ever passed the number one ranking among themselves. However, a former ATP Tour player who competed against them explained why “Nole” might be the best.
Now, the million-dollar question for tennis fans: “Who is the greatest of all time?” The classic and persistent debate that will never end, because it’s so subjective and there are so many ways to look at it that a definitive answer is never possible. While one is the best in terms of numbers and statistics, another dominated everyone and everything by specializing on a single surface, and yet another simply worked magic anywhere, against anyone.
Marcos Baghdatis, former world No. 8, highlights Novak Djokovic
Former top-10 player Marcos Baghdatis shared his opinion on why Novak Djokovic is at the “highest level” among the Big Three. Baghdatis retired from tennis in 2019 after the Wimbledon Championships. He played eight matches against Djokovic in his career, between 2007 and 2015, and lost them all. He has a 1-7 record against Federer and a 1-9 record against Nadal; however, he never managed to defeat the Serbian during his career.
I left the court feeling like he’d taught me a lesson
Reflecting on this, he recently admitted that the 38-year-old was his toughest opponent. “I think that whenever I played against Novak, the matches were pretty close. That’s what I think. Maybe I’m wrong, but what do I remember? But I think I once gave him a real beating, and it was in Indian Wells. It was 6-1, 6-2 (6-1, 6-3). I left the court feeling like he’d taught me a lesson.”
Novak Djokovic and his 101st title after the Hellenic Championships at Athens 250, won near retirement
Novak Djokovic concluded his 2025 season after competing in the Hellenic Championships. He reached the final and defeated Lorenzo Musetti to secure his 101st career title. In a post-tournament press conference, the Serbian was asked about his retirement plans. He revealed that he plans to retire after representing his country at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I’ve always had this in mind throughout my life and career. I’ve always had a timeline in mind for a year or more, what I want, how I want it. Since I’ve achieved absolutely every possible goal, I talked about the 2028 Olympics because I wanted to play for many more years. So perhaps finishing at the Olympics under the Serbian flag would be great,” said Novak Djokovic.
Read the full article here
