"Rafael Nadal is": Lindsey Vonn names Spaniard as GOAT days after admiring Roger Federer's greatness & controversy with Novak Djokovic fans

After previously naming Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, American ski champion Lindsey Vonn has now acknowledged Rafael Nadal as the GOAT.

Earlier this month, Vonn had taken to social media to shower praises on Federer and called him a "Forever GOAT". She said the Swiss maestro's impact on the sport cannot be measured solely through numbers and statistics.

A few days later Vonn shared pictures from her interaction with Novak Djokovic on social media, where she referred to Djokovic as "The GOAT". Vonn found herself in the crossfire between Federer and Djokovic's fans and was heavily trolled. However, the ski champion held her own and said she firmly believed that there needn't be just one GOAT.

In light of the controversy, a fan took to social media and posted a video clip of Rafael Nadal's stunning no-see overhead shot against Carlos Alcaraz at the Netflix Slam on Sunday. While Alcaraz eventually won the match, the 22-time Grand Slam champion's spectacular on-court prowess left fans highly impressed.

The fan tagged Vonn and posed the question:

"Okay first was Roger, now Nole, when you will tell us the goat is Rafa for you?" wrote a fann addressing Vonn on X (formerly Twitter).

Vonn caught the lighthearted tone of the message and reasserted that all of the Big 3 had left an indelible mark on the sport.

"Yup, he is! Hahaha. I think the big 3 are goats. Their impact in the sport can’t be denied. And also, it’s just my opinion so..." replied Vonn.

---

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to compete at Indian Wells 2024

Novak Djokovic(left) and Rafael Nadal (right) at the 2021 French Open

Tennis fans are in for a treat with two of the Big 3, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, set to compete at the 2024 Indian Wells. The tournament is scheduled from March 3-17, with the qualifiers already underway.

Nadal last competed in the 2022 edition of the event where he defeated Sebastian Korda, Dan Evans, Reilly Opelka, Nick Kyrgios, and Carlos Alcaraz en route to the final. However, he lost the title to Taylor Fritz in straight sets. He missed the event in 2023 due to a hip injury.

Novak Djokovic last competed at Indian Wells in 2019. He defeated Bjorn Fratangelo in the Round of 64 before suffering a disappointing third-round defeat at the hands of the now-retired Philipp Kohlschreiber. However, Djokovic has enjoyed a lot of success at the Masters 1000 event. He is tied with Roger Federer for most Indian Wells titles, having won it five times. He lifted the trophy in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016.