Ilie Nastase, one of the sport’s most iconic players, dominated tennis in the 1970s and was the first-ever ATP-ranked World No. 1. Despite his achievements, Nastase has never been included in the GOAT conversation.
When Novak Djokovic broke Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam record by clinching his 23rd major at the 2023 Roland Garros, Nastase downplayed the significance of the Serbian’s accomplishment, refusing to declare him the greatest of all time.
“Novak won another Grand Slam, but it could have been the other way around, right?” Nastase said in an interview with Gazeta Sporturilor. “Nadal could have been at 23, and they’d still be neck and neck. Does it matter so much that one has one more title now?”
In fact, Nastase ranked Nadal higher than Djokovic, citing the Spaniard’s unprecedented dominance at Roland Garros. “Those 14 French Opens weigh far more than the 23 Grand Slams Novak has won,” Nastase asserted. “Winning on clay 14 times? On the Roland Garros clay? I don’t think another player will ever achieve that”.
Rafael Nadal holds the Coupe de Mousquetaires as he poses with Novak Djokovic after their men’s singles final match of the 2014 Roland Garros. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Nastase’s broader view on the GOAT debate
When asked to choose a definitive GOAT, the ever-controversial Nastase refused to commit, emphasizing the depth of tennis history. “There are many players who can claim that title, including Federer. And we can’t forget the ones from before: Björn Borg, Rod Laver, who completed the Calendar Grand Slam twice, or Pete Sampras. Sometimes, people forget about them,” Nastase said.
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He also compared the discussion to debates in other sports. “It’s like in soccer. Pelé was admired in his time, then came Cruyff, Maradona, and now Messi. The kids only see who the current champion is,” he continued.
Nastase added that the GOAT debate is fueled more by media and sponsorship narratives than by the players themselves. “I’ve seen them all, even played against many of them, but I don’t think this constant comparison is necessary,” he said.
“This is something the media and sponsors keep alive, pushing the fight over Grand Slam titles. Even Djokovic, with his 23 Grand Slams, will be forgotten like the others,” Nastase continued. “We’ll only look at his records when we open a newspaper, but we can’t forget Nadal or Federer just because they’ve retired. Djokovic’s time will come, too”.
Nastase highlights Nadal and Santana’s dominance on clay
When narrowing the conversation to clay-court dominance, Nastase gave a nod to Spanish legend Manolo Santana during a conversation with Marca. “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen on clay. I don’t know how the players before him performed, but I know how hard it was to beat him on that surface,” Nastase noted.
Santana’s records stood as a benchmark until Nadal shattered them with his historic 14 Roland Garros titles. “He had a lot of records, but over time, Nadal broke them with numbers like those 13 [now 14] French Opens,” Nastase concluded.
