Novak Djokovic ranked Rafael Nadal ahead of Roger Federer in a blind ranking challenge conducted ahead of the 2025 Miami Open. The Serbian tennis icon was asked by DAZN to rank five legendary players in order without knowing which name would appear next.
The Blind Ranking Process
Djokovic placed Pete Sampras third, followed by Nadal at number one. He then positioned Andre Agassi fourth, Federer second, and Andy Murray fifth. The trio of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are the only men’s tennis players to have each won 20 or more major titles. Federer retired with 20 Grand Slams in September 2022, Nadal retired in November 2024 with 22, and Djokovic currently holds 24 majors, still competing at age 39.
Expert Opinions on the GOAT Debate
Former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic described Djokovic as the most daunting opponent. “When you played with Roger, you knew what you had to do, but there were a lot of moments where it wasn't up to you. This guy could make you look very, very bad,” Raonic told the Changeover podcast. “With Rafa, it wasn't obvious whether you had the opportunity to win the match. … And then the unique thing with Novak was like, even watching other players play him a lot, you get in the rallies, you do all these things right, Novak does this thing where he plays down the middle a lot more than everybody else, but then just takes away angles from you.”
Bjorn Borg, an 11-time Grand Slam champion, declared Djokovic the greatest of all time. “I think the way he's playing, Djokovic, for me, is the greatest player to have ever played the game. And then the second place comes to Federer and Nadal,” Borg said.
Tim Henman, a former world No. 4 and four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, also placed Djokovic first. “In third place I would go for Roger Federer,” Henman said. “Winner of 20 Grand Slam titles, eight Wimbledons, played so well on every surface, just how easy he made the game look with his footwork, but also his technique. That one-handed backhand was always a pleasure to watch.”
Henman ranked Nadal second, citing his unparalleled French Open record. “He won 22 Grand Slams, 14 French Opens. We often talk about records are there to be broken, but I'm convinced that 14 singles titles at Roland Garros will never be broken.” He added: “Greatest male player of all time is Novak Djokovic. What he's done, winning every Grand Slam a minimum three times. He's won 24 majors, going for his 25th here in Roland Garros. He's the best player that I've ever seen.”
