The year 2022 was a turbulent one in the career of Novak Djokovic. What began with a vaccination controversy at the Australian Open turned delightful at the Wimbledon Championships where he defeated Nick Kyrgios to win the title. With this, Djokovic won his 21st major trophy and leapfrogged Roger Federer, who won 20 Grand Slam titles during his illustrious career. Subsequently, the Serb has gone on to add 3 more major titles to take his tally to 24 Grand Slam wins, and he is not done yet. Despite immense success over Federer in terms of Grand Slam titles, the Serb has fallen behind Federer in the pecking order.

Earlier today, ESPN released a list of the greatest men’s tennis players of the 2000s. While the Big 3, comprising Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic were a sure-shot in that list, what was interesting to note was the order in which they made it to the list. Despite Djokovic dominating the two statistically, it was in fact Federer, who leapfrogged Djokovic and Nadal to take the first spot as the best male tennis player of the 2000s. Federer has won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most in the open era.

Djokovic then took the second spot as he fell behind the Swiss maestro in the list but remained ahead of Nadal, who was the third-best player. Subsequently, Andy Murray and Andre Agassi completed the top 5 of ESPN’s list of the best men’s singles players of the 2000s. While Federer and Agassi have called time on their illustrious careers, the trio of Djokovic, Nadal, and Murray are still competing on the tour.

An interesting addition to the list was the Spanish sensation, Carlos Alcaraz, who is fresh off from winning the French Open and Wimbledon this year. Alcaraz was positioned at the sixth spot, ahead of the likes of Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, Stan Wawrinka, and Lleyton Hewitt, who completed the top 10 list.

One of the things that justifies this list is the fact that many bigwigs in the tennis world have sided with Federer despite Djokovic’s immense statistical dominance. A few months back, Gilles Müller joined the GOAT debate, picking Federer over Djokovic.

Gilles Müller explained why Roger Federer was superior over Novak Djokovic

Many fans would agree that Federer boasted natural talent, something that is seen rarely in the sporting world. His one-handed backhands were a treat to watch for the fans. As was his behavior on and off the court, a facet many don’t like about the Serbinator, who’s unapologetic about everything. During an interview, Müller pointed this fact while narrating why Federer was better than Djokovic.

He said, “It’s a very tough question because you’re always going to upset someone. Because if we’re looking at results, if we’re looking at stats, I think there’s no way around Novak Djokovic. If I look at the whole thing, for me, I felt like it was Roger Federer that lifted tennis to a new level. Just the way he was playing, his style, his elegance on the court, the way he behaved outside the court, then I think he’s the biggest.”

While the GOAT debate in tennis will be ever-lasting, players like Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal have created an ever-lasting legacy, something that can be unmatched. Indeed, we were blessed to have watched them grace the court and enthrall millions of fans worldwide.