Golden era: 20 years, 60 titles, 3 players

When you have three tennis players, who, playing in the same era, have 60 Grand Slam titles between them, comparisons are inevitable. Leaving aside the debate about who is the greatest of all time (GOAT), what does a break-up of the past 21 years show about the standing of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic?

In the first phase, between 2001 and 2005, the trio were just beginning to make their mark, and won a mere seven (Federer — 6; Nadal — 1) of the 20 Grand Slam titles on offer. Djokovic only started playing Grand Slams in 2005. Federer won his first title in 2003 and Nadal in 2005. But the former was dominant because no one else won as many titles. In the second phase, between 2006 and 2010, Federer and Nadal dominated, winning 18 of 20 titles. Of this, Federer won 10 and Nadal, 8. Djokovic won only one (his first) in 2008. In the third phase, between 2011 and 2015, of the 20 titles on offer, Djokovic was dominant, winning 9 to Nadal’s 5; Federer won only 1 title. And in the fourth phase, from 2016, of the 22 titles on offer, the three have won 19, with Djokovic winning 10, Nadal, 6, and Federer, 3.

So, Federer dominated the first five years; he and Nadal dominated the next five; then it was the turn of Nadal and Djokovic; and finally, over the past six years, it has been Djokovic largely, although neither Nadal nor Federer has done too badly. Interestingly, over the last four years, of the 14 titles on offer, Djokovic has won 8, Nadal, 4, and Federer, 1 – numbers that speak for themselves. Since 2011, there has been a clear leader in this race of three greats.