Novak Djokovic‘s 1st triumph in Paris on Sunday brought his total Grand Slam haul to 12, a total even he could only dream of only five or six years ago. Up until that point, men’s tennis was dominated by the two seemingly unstoppable figures of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic’s recent domination of the sport, having won 11 of the previous 22 Grand Slams has coincided with a sharp dip in form for Federer and Nadal. This has led some to question if Djokovic can really be compared on the same level as both Federer and Nadal, seeing as much of his success has come at a time when no one else can truly challenge the Serb. But is that really a fair comparison? Some interesting statistics shed some light on the matter.
Decline of the “Big Two”
When comparing the trio of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, it is easy to get lost in the sea of stats. Federer has the best record in Grand Slams with 17 titles to his name, with Nadal on 14 and Djokovic as previously mentioned on 12. Nadal has won 9 of his 14 Grand Slams at the French Open and his utter dominance at this event has in the eyes of many inflated the true value of his career. However, Nadal was up against the powerhouse that is Roger Federer, with the pair winning an astonishing 30 of the 44 Grand Slams between 2003 and 2013. That incredible dominance from the pair has recently dried up. Federer, now 34, is at the tail end of career and a slew of recent Slam final defeats has shown how difficult it is for Federer to keep up with the modern game. Nadal has suffered terribly with injury since around 2012 with a string of serious knee and wrist issues causing his career to stutter. All this has left Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka as Djokovic’s biggest rivals in the past few years, allowing the Serb to dominate.
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
It is easy to pin the rise of Djokovic on the fall of Nadal and Federer but some crucial facts muddy the waters. Djokovic played in only three Grand Slam Finals prior to 2011, with one victory. At the height of their powers, Federer and Nadal had competed in 22 and 11 Slam finals up to that point respectively. Djokovic has also beaten Federer and Nadal in three Grand Slam finals apiece. The Serb also has the most ATP Masters titles of the trio despite being the youngest and has only once lost from a set up against Nadal or Federer in a Grand Slam final. Djokovic is also the only one of the trio to hold all four Majors at once. These statistics certainly favor Djokvic but how much do they truly mean?
The Cold Hard Truth
It would be easy to sit here for several hours listing off the extreme multitude of records broken by each man. However it is much easier to look at it plainly in layman’s terms. Djokovic has inherited a situation where by he is head and shoulders above the pack. His improvement over the past 5 years has been startling and clearly visible in his much improved serve and forehand. But you’re only as good as the competition around you allows. Most can agree Djokovic is playing his best tennis in a time when Nadal and Federer are not. Despite being truly wonderful players, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are not nearly on the same level as Djokovic. Much like the sport of Formula 1, drawing a comparison across the barrier of time is near impossible as much like racing cars, tennis players evolve and change over time. The “Big Four” were never simultaneously on par with each other and even Federer and Nadal had clear periods of dominance over each other.
An Unanswerable Question
It is truly impossible to say with confidence that Djokovic was in the right place at the right time. Someone had to inherit the role as the best player in the world and, although the competition for Djokovic is not as fierce as it was for Federer or Nadal, none of these players were at the peak of their powers all at once. In an ideal world the Djokovic of 2011 onward would be pitted against the Federer of 2007 and the Nadal of 2010 to truly see who of the three is the greatest. The best statistic we have to compare them is their overall Grand Slam title glories and even then the relevance of that number is up for debate. So to conclude we can’t say with certainty that Djokovic’s success is based upon the decline of his rivals but he has certainly profited from it and it will be up to the crop of rising tennis stars to dethrone the current undisputed king of men’s tennis.
