Paris (AFP)

It is the debate which does not cease to animate the discussions between fans of tennis: which of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic will most deserve the title of "GOAT", to include / understand the best player of the history?

It is too early to decide, but the gaps are narrowing in their frantic chase.

When Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic discussed it live on Instagram, in full confinement, the GOAT ("greatest of all times"), it was "a combination of Grand Slams, Masters, weeks spent in place of N. 1 world, "listed the Serbian.

"And face-to-face", completed the Briton.

"And I would say that the Grand Slams stand out," resumed "Djoko".

Where are the cardinal figures of tennis after this thirteenth coronation of Nadal at Roland Garros?

In terms of Grand Slams, Federer and Nadal are now tied, with twenty trophies.

Djokovic remains at 17.

For the weeks at the top of world tennis, Federer leads the way, with 310 weeks, but Djokovic will start his 290th on Monday.

Nadal is currently stuck at 209.

As for the Masters, this is the main weakness of the Spaniard.

He never won there, when Federer triumphed six times and Djokovic five.

- Surface matter -

Time is obviously not on the Swiss side, who celebrated his 39th birthday in August.

Nadal (34) is five years younger, Djokovic six (33).

As an example, to illustrate the dynamics of their parallel progression, between 2018 and 2020, Federer won only one Grand Slam (Australian Open 2018), when the Mallorcan and the Serbian respectively won four and five.

On the contrary, Federer had already pocketed four Majors before Nadal's accession in 2005 and, when Djokovic won his first in 2008, the Balois had twelve and the Spaniard three.

Still in the statistics department, we must credit Djokovic for being the only one of the trio to have held the four major trophies at the same time, between Wimbledon 2015 and Roland Garros 2016.

It is also the Serb who is best placed in his direct confrontations with his two rivals (27-23 against Federer and 29-27 against Nadal).

If it is still impossible to say definitively, Murray made his contribution to the debate during his conversation with "Djoko" on social networks.

His argument: it's all about the surface.

"In fact, the three best players in history play at the same time, so we can compare them," he says.

"Because we play on different surfaces, when I am asked who is the most formidable opponent, I answer that I have the feeling of playing against the best player of all time on clay, the best player of all times on grass, and the best player of all time on hard, ”explains the Briton.

- "Me against the rest of the world" -

So there are the records, but there is also the rest, non-quantifiable, but nevertheless perceptible: the love rating.

In this area, Djokovic himself acknowledges, in another confined conversation on Instagram, this time with Stan Wawrinka: he is lagging behind.

"Roger is arguably the best player ever, he's loved all over the world, as long as he plays I don't expect to have the majority of the audience on my side in most cases, but it's ok , because it's Roger. And the situation is very similar with Rafa ", he explains.

"Am I contributing to it? Asks Djokovic. I don't think so. It's more (because of) the exceptional stature of Federer and Nadal, not just as tennis champions, but as people, very charismatic, nice, humble, and who leave a huge mark on our sport. "

Wawrinka has his theory: "In a movie, there can't be three good guys".

"They're amazing champions, like you, but when you were young you were a little different, like everyone else, and they had taken that place before, the nice, humble, fair play type and all. It still plays out now. ", exposes the Swiss.

"At the beginning of my rivalry with them, I had the feeling that it was me against the rest of the world, summarizes Djokovic. I was this young player who had confidence in him, and who said, I respect Roger and Rafa, but I can beat them, win big titles, be N.1, and that created this situation where people said to themselves: + Who is this guy who challenges Roger and Rafa? + "

Faced with this, all the trophies in the world may not be enough.

© 2020 AFP