In a previous article we talked about Who is the Greatest Female tennis player of all time; now it's time to dive into the men. The candidates are clearer than ever: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. These three are the only men in history to have won 20 or more Grand Slam singles titles — and for well over 15 years they’ve dominated men's tennis like no one else in the modern era.
Roger Federer
Federer has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles.
He achieved a Career Grand Slam (winning all four majors at least once).
His strongest Slam was Wimbledon, which he won 8 times.
His last Grand Slam title came in the 2018 Australian Open, and he has since retired from professional competition.
In career titles, Federer is among the top: he has 103 career ATP singles titles in the Open era.
Rafael Nadal
Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles.
Retired in 2024, bringing to an end one of the greatest careers in tennis history.
Known especially as the “King of Clay” — among his Grand Slams, his French Open titles are unmatched (14 French Open titles).
In total ATP singles titles he has 92.
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic holds the current all-time men’s record with 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
He is the only man to complete a Triple Career Grand Slam (all four majors won at least three times each).
Djokovic also holds the all-time lead in “Big Titles” (which includes Grand Slams, Masters 1000s, and ATP Finals).
He still competes at a high level. In 2025, while not always winning, he continues to make deep runs. For example, he holds several records such as most Grand Slam matches played, most weeks ranked No. 1, etc.
Updated Comparisons & Other Key Stats
Grand Slam Titles (Men’s singles):
Novak Djokovic: 24 | Rafael Nadal: 22 | Roger Federer: 20Career status: Federer retired (2022), Nadal retired (2024), Djokovic still active.
Total ATP singles titles (Open era): Djokovic has over 100, Federer 103, Nadal 92.
Longevity & consistency: Djokovic has been No. 1 for a record number of weeks (highest among the three). Federer and Nadal also had long spans at the top.
My Opinion
All three remain extraordinary, each with different peaks, strengths, and legacies. Updated info strengthens the case for Djokovic in terms of raw numbers (especially Grand Slams), but Federer and Nadal’s impacts go beyond just numbers — style, influence, dominance in certain surfaces, sportsmanship, etc.
If I were to pick right now, given the latest data, I lean slightly toward Novak Djokovic as the greatest — he edges it on Grand Slams, consistency, ability to stay at or near the top over a long period, and records that no one else has yet matched.
But it’s still very close. Federer’s elegance and dominance in his era, Nadal’s clay mastery and fighting spirit, Djokovic’s versatility and endurance — each brings something unique.
