Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer: Tennis’ Big 3, United by Greatness

Tennis is one sport that thrives on rivalries. Be it the heady battle of contrasting personalities between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe or the different styles of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert or the serve and volley clashes on the hallowed lawns of SW 19 between Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, or the matches between the great American stars Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang.ALSO LISTEN: Federer, The Gift That Kept On Giving To Tennis Fans!However, very few generations have witnessed a rivalry that tennis fans were privileged to see between three gladiators, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.The ‘Big Three’ as they were called by fans and critics, each elevated the sport to dizzying heights as their contests often became a physical and mental battle and also one of breathtaking skill.Whenever they clashed, it was often for the biggest prizes on offer, and these high-stake scenarios usually brought out the best in each of them. The 2008 Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal is hailed by many experts and fans as the “greatest tennis match ever played”.Djokovic, the youngest of the trio, had just won his first Slam at the Australian Open that very year. But following that breakthrough win, the Serbian would endure some agonising losses to both Federer and Nadal, losses that he has, many a time, said helped him understand what he was missing in order to reach the mind boggling levels of the Swiss and the Spaniard.They each command fiercely loyal fanbases, who have no hesitation in proclaiming their man to be the undisputed GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), but amid the endless noisy debate, do we risk diminishing the true value of their legacies?The Times of India’s Rohan Alvares and Nitin Naik delve deeper into what they meant for the sport, predict the final Slam tally that each would end up with and guess whether we will see another generation as talented as this.Audio production: Anil Chauhan