Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ former coach, asserted that Novak Djokovic is the greatest male tennis player of all time, dismissing arguments centered on the achievements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as stemming from fan allegiance. Mouratoglou’s comments, made on the High Performance podcast and reported January 30, 2026, come as Djokovic competes in the Australian Open, seeking his 25th Grand Slam title.
Mouratoglou, who guided Williams to 10 major titles, acknowledged that Djokovic previously trailed Federer and Nadal in certain aspects of the game. Though, he emphasized that Djokovic’s mental fortitude and meticulous attention to detail set him apart. “People create the mistake. They think it’s about talent, weapons. It’s nothing to do with that, it’s only the mindset,” Mouratoglou stated.
The debate over the greatest of all time in men’s tennis has long centered on the “Big Three” – Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. As of February 28, 2026, Djokovic leads in Grand Slam titles with 24, followed by Nadal with 22, and Federer with 20. Federer and Nadal retired in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
The rivalry between Federer and Nadal is widely considered one of the greatest in tennis history, with Nadal leading their head-to-head record 24-16 across 40 matches. Of those matches, 20 were played on hard courts, 16 on clay, and 4 on grass. Nadal holds a significant advantage on clay (14-2), whereas Federer leads on grass (3-1) and hard courts (11-9). They contested 14 major finals, with Nadal winning 10 and Federer 4.
Between 2005 and 2010, Federer and Nadal collectively won all but two of the 23 Grand Slam tournaments. They later added six consecutive major titles between the 2017 Australian Open and the 2018 French Open. The pair also shared the top two rankings on the ATP Tour for six consecutive years, from 2005 to 2010, and again in 2017, including a record 211 consecutive weeks sharing the top two positions.
Rafael Nadal has a 22-8 record in Grand Slam finals, including victories at the French Open in 2022 against Casper Ruud and the Australian Open in 2022 against Daniil Medvedev. His most recent Grand Slam final appearance was at the 2022 Australian Open. Federer defeated Nadal in a Wimbledon final in 2007, and Nadal bested Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final, a match remembered for its dramatic five-set conclusion.
As of this reporting, the Australian Open semi-final between Djokovic and Jannik Sinner has concluded, with Djokovic advancing to the final. The outcome of the final, and any potential impact on the “GOAT” debate, remains to be seen.
