Over the past 20 years, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal have been the most dominant men in tennis, winning and shattering virtually every major record. However, the debate over who is the greatest player of all time continues. Three-time Grand Slam champion and one of their biggest rivals, Stan Wawrinka, has his own opinion… and it may not be what you’d expect.

Wawrinka, 39, is one of only five players to have beaten all members of the Big 3 in Grand Slam matches. He also holds the record for the most wins against them in majors: four times against Djokovic, once against Federer, and once against Nadal.

In each of his Grand Slam victories, Wawrinka defeated the reigning No. 1 player in the final: the 2014 Australian Open, the 2015 French Open, and the 2016 US Open (once against Nadal and twice against Djokovic).

In addition to his Grand Slam wins, Wawrinka has reached a career-high World No. 3 ranking in 2014. He also won the Olympic gold medal in doubles alongside Federer in 2008, and the Davis Cup for the Swiss team, also with Federer, in 2014. Needless to say, Wawrinka is well-acquainted with the Big 3. While he and Federer share a close relationship, Wawrinka chose Djokovic as the GOAT.

Stan Wawrinka (R) of Switzerland embraces Novak Djokovic of Serbia after defeating him in the 2016 US Open Final

In February 2024, speaking with Marca, he was asked who he considered the GOAT. “Djokovic is ahead of everyone else in all statistics,” he replied, without giving further details. That same year, Wawrinka described the Serbian as the “perfect player” in an interview with Ole.

Djokovic leads in key Stats

When it comes to numbers, Novak Djokovic leads in several of the most important categories. He holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles, tied with Margaret Court, with 24 titles. He also leads in ATP Masters 1000 titles (40) and weeks spent as World No. 1 (428). Other notable records include:
  • The male tennis player with the most Australian Open titles (10).
  • The only player to complete a Triple Career Grand Slam, and one of only eight men in history to achieve a Career Grand Slam in the Open Era.
  • The only player to have won all 9 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
  • Completing the career Golden Slam, after winning the 2024 Paris Olympics.

With these achievements, it is nearly undeniable that Djokovic has the edge in the greatest player of all time conversation. However, let’s not forget that on the women’s side, there’s another whole conversation about the GOAT status also.