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Not only was Novak Djokovic playing for the French Open title on Sunday, but he also had the opportunity to move clear for the first time in the race to be crowned the GOAT of men’s tennis.
The number of Grand Slam titles is the most obvious and easiest metric for those who wish to determine – and not everyone does – the Greatest Of All Time.
The Serb, 36, won at Roland Garros to land his 23rd major title, moving him one clear of Rafael Nadal and three ahead of Roger Federer.
With 37-year-old Nadal out injured for much of the year and planning to retire in 2024, and 41-year-old Federer already retired, Djokovic beating Casper Ruud for his third French Open title may have settled the debate once and for all.
Now Djokovic has the chance at Wimbledon in July – where he is the four-time defending champion – to move ahead of Serena Williams and equal Margaret Court’s record by winning his 24th major.
For some, the GOAT discussion is frivolous and does a disservice to the achievements of each player.
The numbers do not tell the full picture, of course. It is not possible to quantify their different playing styles, how they have adapted their games or their physical and mental strength, nor how they have overcome the tough moments that have peppered their careers.
But it does provide the framework for the debate. Here, BBC Sport crunches the numbers and gives you the chance to have your say in the comments section at the bottom.
From a frontrunner to a three-horse race
The race to be crowned the GOAT – in terms of major titles, at least – became a fluctuating battle between three men, which few had seen coming.
When a 27-year-old Federer overtook Pete Sampras’ previous best mark with his 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2009, few thought he would ever be caught.
At that stage, 23-year-old Nadal had won six majors and 22-year-old Djokovic had just landed his maiden title at the 2008 Australian Open.
After winning at least one major every year from 2003 to 2010, Federer’s trajectory began to plateau in 2011, the year Djokovic took his game to new heights.
Another Wimbledon title followed for Federer in 2012 – but then, thanks to a combination of his rivals’ brilliance and injuries, the Swiss did not win another major for four years.
Most wrote him off as Nadal and Djokovic closed in on his tally, before Federer’s renaissance in 2017 – when his rivals stumbled because of injury and loss of form – kept him at least three titles ahead.
That was until 2019, when Nadal and Djokovic shared the four majors equally, leaving the trio closer than ever.
Then Federer had company – for the first time since he was briefly level with Sampras in 2009 – after Nadal’s win at Roland Garros in 2020.
Djokovic pulled level on 20 after winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2021.
But he missed the opportunity to win again at Melbourne Park in 2022 when he was deported from Australia in a visa row connected to him not being vaccinated for Covid-19.
That allowed Nadal to take the outright lead for the first time, moving two clear when he won a record 14th Roland Garros title last year.
However, Djokovic won Wimbledon last year and has added the Australian Open and French Open titles this year to take sole leadership for the first time.
How do they compare on different surfaces?
Some had argued that Nadal’s dominance on the Roland Garros clay means he is perhaps not as complete an all-round player as Federer and Djokovic.
The ‘King of Clay’ has won 14 of his 22 major titles in Paris. Neither Federer nor Djokovic have been as dominant in one place, although nor has any other player – male or female – in the history of the sport.
But Federer and Djokovic do each have a Grand Slam they have bossed over the years, and at which they hold the record for the number of men’s titles won.
Djokovic has claimed 10 of his 23 victories on the Australian Open hard courts, while Federer won eight of his 20 majors on the Wimbledon grass.
However, neither Federer nor Nadal have achieved what Djokovic did by lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires again on Sunday – winning at least three Slams on each surface.
By beating Ruud, Djokovic has become the only man in history – and fourth player after Court, Steffi Graf and Williams – to win each of the four majors three times.
Nadal has won them all at least twice, with Federer winning just once on the Paris clay.