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Thus far, 2022 has seen many vital developments within the race for all-time greatness within the males’s recreation; now not are the three kings tied at 20 Gradn Slams every.
Rafa Nadal is now the outright chief with 22 total slam victories after his unbelievable win at Roland Garros and yet one more French Open title.
Regardless of his many bureaucratic struggles, Novak Djokovic emerged along with his fourth consecutive Wimbledon victory, bringing his complete to 21 slams, leaving Roger Federer at 20. The slam rating now reads Nadal 22, Djokovic 21 and Federer 20.
In order issues stand, can we name Nadal the undisputed GOAT along with his 22 Grand Slams?
Nicely, that each one relies on what you outline as “greatness”. Certainly, the general Grand Slam win counts, however there are different equally vital and goal measurements.
GOAT and GARP?
Firstly, shouldn’t the GOAT even be the best all-around participant (GARP) of all time in order that he will need to have a broad unfold of slams and never simply all targeting one occasion?
I feel so; in different phrases – would you continue to name Nadal the GOAT if he had 18 French Opens and solely certainly one of every from the remainder of the slams? Certainly, that would appear very weird, and there’s rather more to Grand Slam tennis than simply the French Open. He’d be the GOAT of the French Open for certain, however the total Goat? Unlikely.
But the truth will not be removed from this since a full 2/3 of Rafa’s Grand Slams, 14 out of twenty-two, have come solely from the French Open; he solely has two French Opens, two Wimbledons, and 4 US Opens.
That’s, after all, very spectacular by itself however much less spectacular relative to the opposite two kings. Keep in mind, we’re evaluating the easiest to the easiest, and requirements are extremely excessive, with even tiny discrepancies making an actual distinction.
In distinction, Novak’s file is extra spectacular (given the GOAT race could be very a lot alive) since in his weakest slam, the French Open, he nonetheless managed two wins in opposition to the GOAT of the French Open, Rafa himself. The remainder of his file shines; 9 French Opens, 7 Wimbledons, and three US Opens. That’s way more rounded than Rafa.
As is the case with Roger, Although only one French Open win, he has reached the ultimate one other 4 instances, the place once more he misplaced to Rafa. The remainder of his numbers are extraordinarily spectacular; 8 Wimbledons, 6 French Opens and 5 US Opens, exceptionally nicely rounded, and he was solely prevented from being much more rounded by the GOAT of the French Open.
In the end I really feel this places a dent in Rafa’s file within the GOAT race: his lopsided and closely skewed file in the direction of the French Open hurts him, though he at the moment holds extra slams than anybody else.
Put it this fashion, who cares if he received 12, 13 or 14 French Opens? It makes little distinction as nobody alive will see this file damaged; the purpose is made, any extra is overkill, extreme to the top of creating Rafa a one-trick pony.
One French Open too many?
It additionally has a detrimental impact on the French Open, turning it right into a one-pony present. Seeing the identical factor over and over and over, irrespective of how good it’s, turns into tiresome. The French Open has turn into a one-issue event – who can cease Nadal? Again and again.
Take into consideration this: in the event you ate your favorite meal on daily basis for the following six months, it certainly would not be your favorite meal anymore!
That’s the reason I cheered my coronary heart out when Rafa received his 2nd Australian Open after 13 years; that was certainly an unbelievable achievement, however it sank when he received his 14th French Open straight afterwards. Like I mentioned, the one pony present…
Particular Ones
Subsequent is one thing individuals hardly ever discuss – distinctive data. Let’s begin with the extra apparent ones; does Rafa have any? Sure, however you guessed it, it is again to the French Open; he has 5 consecutive titles and probably the most French Opens of all time at 14.
Examine this to Novak, with probably the most French Opens at 9 and 4 consecutive Wimbledon titles.
And Roger? That is the place he actually excels; he is received probably the most Wimbledon titles at eight and most US Opens ever at 5, together with probably the most consecutive Wimbledon and US Opens at 5 every.
He additionally has what no one has, a series block of data, which neither Rafa nor Novak has or is prone to obtain.
That is 4 years’ value of consecutive back-to-back Wimbledon – US Open victories (2004-07) with a complete of 8 slams. I name this the Atlantic Slam!
Roger’s distinctive and unbelievable Atlantic slam
The final particular person to attain something near this was Bjorn Borg, who did the channel slam three years operating, profitable the French Open and Wimbledon again to again (1978-80). That file remains to be standing after 42 years.
How lengthy will Rog’s 4 back2back Atlantic slam final? I say no less than 60 years. That’s some file; it is nearly everlasting.
The Best All courtroom participant?
Final however not least, having mentioned that the GOAT ought to have as large a unfold of Grand Slam titles as attainable, can this not be utilized to the GOAT skillset?
That’s, the GOAT ought to have a recreation that possesses nearly each stroke on a GOAT degree. In that case, do not Roger’s all-around expertise stand out even when in comparison with Novak and Rafa?
Sure, some components of Rafa and Novak’s recreation are on GOAT degree, however few would say that Rafa has one of the best backhand, volley or serve. Neither would you say the identical relating to Djoko’s serve and volley and even his forehand.
Roger is completely different; most of his recreation is on GOAT degree: the forehand, serve, volley, mobility, stamina, and consistency. He does all of it: baseliner, serve + volley, true spherical greatness. The one exception is the backhand which is superb however maybe not GOAT degree.
Can this all-court greatness be quantified? I imagine it might, to a sure extent.
Take away their greatest weapons, and what have they got?
Put it this fashion, if we took away Roger’s serve and gave him one thing not as superlative however above common like former prime ten participant Tommy Haas’s serve.
Are you able to image him profitable many slams? I feel you may, not 20 maybe, however round ten is affordable and nonetheless very spectacular. Federer has among the finest of not one of the best serve ever, however he’s by far not a one-trick pony. He may nonetheless depend on his different GOAT-level expertise to deliver dwelling the slams.
Nonetheless, I do not assume the identical will be mentioned for the opposite two. Take away Nadal’s colossal forehand, and what’s he left with that’s GOAT class? Maybe solely his motion. Is that sufficient to win 22 slams, given how damaging a weapon his FH has been on clay? I doubt it; with out that forehand, I feel his Grand Slams rely would have been far much less, even perhaps lower than 10.
The identical applies to Djoko; take away his backhand, then what? He nonetheless has unbelievable defensive motion, however you do not win slams from being defensive. What if his BH was like Nalbaldian’s? 21 slams nonetheless? I feel that will be powerful.
If there are statistics on this, we’d in all probability discover that in proportion phrases, there could be way more factors received on Nadal’s FH and Djokovic’s BH in comparison with the remainder of their recreation.
Whereas with Federer, we’d discover that factors had been received rather more evenly over his complete skillset.
So Federer will be mentioned to be the GARP (biggest all-around participant) ever!
Match Level
However within the closing evaluation, maybe we must always bear in mind all of them because the GOAT; they’re extra related than completely different. Nobody else is even shut to twenty+ slams, and certainly, as a trio, we’ll by no means see one other like them once more, that I am fairly certain of, and that makes them greater than merely “the best “; it makes them immortal.
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