5 players that Federer, Nadal and Djokovic all love facing

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are three of the most prominent names in men's professional tennis.

The trio, known as the "Big 3" due to their stupendous achievements in the sport, have the most Grand Slam titles, Grand Slam match wins, Masters 1000 titles and Masters 1000 match wins in the Open Era.

With each possessing a win-loss record of over 82% during the course of their illustrious careers, the Big 3 have three of the top four match win records of any player to have played over 200 matches.

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have swept all the Grand Slam titles in the last three years, their best run in Majors since winning 17 in a row between the 2005 French Open to 2009 Wimbledon.

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Among over 150 players to have played each member of the Big 3 troika, only 28 have beaten Federer, Nadal and Djokovic at least once. None of them possesses a winning head-to-head record against each of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.

Only Dominik Hrbaty (2/3 against Federer, 3/4 against Nadal, and 0/1 against Djokovic) has a cumulative winning head-to-head (5/8, 63%) record against the Big 3.

On that note, let us meet the top five players that each of the Big 3 loves facing.

#T4 Thomaz Bellucci

Thomaz Bellucci

Both of Thomaz Bellucci's clashes with Federer happened in 2012, with the Brazilian southpaw taking a set off the Swiss maestro at the Indian Wells and Basel Round of 16 before going down in three each time.

In six meetings with Nadal, the only time Bellucci managed to take a set off his fellow southpaw came in the pair's latest meeting at the 2016 Rio Olympics quarterfinals. Four of Bellucci's six other clashes with Nadal have come at Grand Slams - twice each at the French Open and Wimbledon. Bellucci is one of 13 players Nadal has beaten six or more times without enduring a defeat.

Like against Nadal, Bellucci is also winless in six matches with Djokovic. All of their matches have taken place between 2010 and 2016 at the Masters 1000 level - thrice in Rome, and once each in Montreal, Paris-Bercy and Madrid.

The Brazilian left-hander is one of 16 players Djokovic has beaten six or more times without losing once.

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#T4 Simone Bolelli

Simone Bolelli

Like Thomaz Bellucci, Simone Bolelli has also endured defeats in all 14 matches he has contested against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

Bolelli is 0/4 against Federer, losing two Davis Cup matches (2009 and 2014), the 2008 Basel quarterfinal and in the second round at the 2015 Australian Open. The last one was right before Federer went on to lose to another Italian, Andreas Seppi, in the next round in Melbourne.

Against Nadal, the Italian is winless in six matches - twice at the French Open, and once each in Madrid, Doha, Basel and Rotterdam.

Bolelli hasn't managed to take a set off Djokovic in four tour-level clashes - Australian Open, Cincinnati, Halle, and in their most recent meeting at 2015 Beijing.

#3 Potito Starace

Potito Starace

Potito Starace is winless in 15 cumulative matches against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

In seven meetings with Federer between 2004 and 2013, Potito Starace has never taken a set off the Swiss maestro. The two have met twice at a Masters 1000, once in the Davis Cup, and four times at the ATP 250 level.

Starace is 0/6 in clashes with Nadal spanning between 2005 and 2010 - once apiece at a Masters 1000 and the Beijing Olympics, twice in Barcelona and twice at the ATP 250 level.

Both of Starace's meetings with Djokovic have happened in the opening round at Grand Slams, with the Serb emerging unscathed without dropping a set on each occasion.

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#2 Diego Schwartzman

Diego Schwartzman

Diego Schwartzman has endured 16 defeats in as many cumulative meetings against the Big-3 troika of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

Schwartzman's four meetings with Federer have occurred twice each on hard court (Indian Wells, Doha) and clay (French Open, Istanbul).

The diminutive Argentinian has met Nadal on nine occasions and has come up short each time. In all but two meetings (2018 Australian Open fourth round and 2018 French Open quarterfinals), Nadal has not dropped a set against the three-time tour-level titlist. Schwartzman is one of three players the Spaniard has beaten nine or more times without dropping a match.

Schwartzman has been closest to a win against a Big 3 member when playing Djokovic. Except for the pair's first meeting in the first round at the 2014 US Open, Schwartzman has taken a set or more off Djokovic on every other occasion.

The Argentine pushed Djokovic the distance in the 2017 French Open third round before going down in five. And in the 2019 Rome Masters semifinals, Schwartzman took a tiebreak set off Djokovic before the Serb could advance to the final.

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#1 Victor Hanescu

Victor Hanescu

Romanian Victor Hanescu holds the ignominy of most cumulative defeats (17) against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic without managing a win against any of them.

Hansecu has had six meetings with Federer between 2004 and 2013 - at three Grand Slam tournaments, and once each at a Masters 1000 tournament, Davis Cup and a ATP 250 tournament. Hanescu's best result was a three-set defeat to the Swiss maestro in the pair's 2010 Indian Wells opening round encounter.

Hanescu is 0/4 against Nadal, losing each time in straight sets. They have met thrice at the Masters 1000 level (2005 Madrid, 2005 Rome, 2010 Rome) and once at the ATP 250 level (Sopot).

In seven meetings with Djokovic spanning between 2005 and 2014 at Roland Garros (twice), four times at Masters 1000 tournaments, and once at a ATP 500 tournament, Hanescu managed a set off Djokovic in the Round of 32 at the 2008 Madrid Masters and 2010 French Open.

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