Tennis: Who's the goat?

Who's the goat?

  • Federer - most major singles titles

    Votes: 17 73.9%
  • Nadal - highest winning %

    Votes: 4 17.4%
  • Djokovic - winning records over Roger & Rafa

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • Sampras - 14 major singles titles

    Votes: 1 4.3%

  • Total voters
    23

Say Hey Kid

The best all around player ever
Dec 10, 2007
23,621
5,496
Who's the goat? Federer - most major singles titles. Nadal - highest winning %. Djokovic - winning records over Roger & Rafa. Sampras - 14 major singles titles.
 

kihei

McEnroe: The older I get, the better I used to be.
Jun 14, 2006
42,550
10,140
Toronto
Voted Roger.

The fourth guy on my list would be Laver because I think a good case is there to be made for why he deserves consideration. Sampras was not an elite clay court player or anything even close to it, and so that eliminates him as far as I am concerned.
 

Maestro84

Registered User
May 3, 2018
2,120
1,634
Toronto
Sampras isn't a GOAT candidate anymore. In the last 15 years there have been three players who have proven to be better tennis players than him. I'd put Borg or Laver in fourth position if we were to add a fourth option.

Right now it has to still be Federer, he has the most majors and weeks at number one but he's also played for much longer (he's turning 39 this year). There's very strong chance that either one of or both Nadal, 33, and Djokovic, 32, end up overtaking him in the coming years as they both have much more time on their side barring any health issues
 

MsMeow

Registered User
Nov 4, 2005
16,431
1,097
Roger by a slim margin right now. He doesn't have time on his side like Rafa and Djokovic so that will likely change.
 

Beau Knows

Registered User
Mar 4, 2013
11,525
7,293
Canada
Federer, but still to be determined.

It's quite possible that the big 3 end up being too close to each other when all is said and done. In which case there could be no clear GOAT, just the big 3.
 

VictorLustig

Registered User
Feb 8, 2012
8,846
2,883
Non-homer vote goes to Federer. The most talented athlete I've ever seen, would dominate in any era.

Homer vote for Borg. Played his last slam after just turning 26, 11 titles before that while playing at the Australian Open just once. Great on all surfaces and almost unbeatable on clay.
 

MsMeow

Registered User
Nov 4, 2005
16,431
1,097
Non-homer vote goes to Federer. The most talented athlete I've ever seen, would dominate in any era.

Homer vote for Borg. Played his last slam after just turning 26, 11 titles before that while playing at the Australian Open just once. Great on all surfaces and almost unbeatable on clay.

He was my first favourite player. He could win on clay and then switch to grass and win again. It's a shame he retired so early.
 

kihei

McEnroe: The older I get, the better I used to be.
Jun 14, 2006
42,550
10,140
Toronto
Even if he gets surpassed in terms of Grand Slam titles, I think Roger is always going to be the Pele or Babe Ruth of the sport, the game's most iconic figure. No? Name anyone on the planet more universally liked than he is.
 
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Fantomas

Registered User
Aug 7, 2012
13,244
6,559
1. Rod Laver
2. Pancho Gonzales
3. Federer/Nadal/Djokovic (three-way tie)
 

YEM

Registered User
Mar 7, 2010
5,718
2,697
I know this is a hot take in the tennis community but I think Joker is the clear best tennis player out of the big 3.
I kinda agree
Roger's played the most beautiful tennis, Nadal's game is the hardest to beat [especially on clay], but Joker's game is the all-around best.
 

The Abusement Park

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Jan 18, 2016
33,923
25,019
I kinda agree
Roger's played the most beautiful tennis, Nadal's game is the hardest to beat [especially on clay], but Joker's game is the all-around best.
Plus Joker has had to compete with peak Nadal and Federer his whole career whereas Feds got to beat up on a pretty weak set of competition early on and Nadal and Joker could both feasibly pass him for all time Slams. Not to truly discredit Feds because he's still one the greatest to ever do it, but I'd take Joker ever so slightly over Feds.
 

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