Former British tennis sensation, Tim Henman, recently shared his insights regarding two of tennis’s greatest players: Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. In his judgement, while Federer is regarded as the “most complete player” he ever faced, Djokovic surpasses all as the unequivocal greatest of all time (GOAT) in tennis.
Henman, who had the opportunity to play against Federer more than any other member of the renowned Big Three, held a commendable record against the Swiss legend initially, winning six out of their first seven encounters. However, as Federer refined his skills and ascended to a new echelon of tennis stardom, he managed to overturn the tables, defeating the Brit in their subsequent six matches, thereby concluding their head-to-head tally at 7-6 in Federer’s favor.
Recounting his experiences with the Big Three, Henman admitted to TalkSPORT, “I played Roger the most and I felt that he had the most complete game. He could play on any surface, had very few weaknesses, and there wasn’t a specific area that you could necessarily attack.” He added, “For me, Roger was the most complete player that I ever played against.”
Moreover, Henman didn’t fare too well against the other two legends, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. He lost to Djokovic in their only meeting and was also defeated by Nadal in both their matches.
While acknowledging his admiration for Federer, Henman was unequivocal in his belief that Djokovic is the ultimate GOAT in men’s tennis. He confirmed that he had sensed, upon playing against each member of the Big Three for the first time, their potential to be Grand Slam winners. However, he admitted his surprise at the trio’s combined haul of 66 Major titles, with Djokovic clinching 24, Nadal 22, and Federer 20.
When asked to identify the greatest player ever, Henman was resolute: “For me, it’s fairly straightforward that Djokovic is the greatest male player of all time.” He reasoned that the determination of the GOAT in tennis often boils down to the numbers game – who has won the most Grand Slam titles, who has spent the most weeks at number one, and who has won the most Masters 1000. In all these aspects, Djokovic leads the way according to the former six-time Grand Slam semifinalist.