"GOAT debate should be civilized" - Susan Polgar on Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer have dominated the ATP tour over the last two decades like nobody else ever has in the past.

Even if all the fans acknowledge this fact, it is difficult for them to not put their favorite player over the other two. However, problems start to arise when some of the fans try to belittle the achievements of the rest of the players. This often leads to nasty wars of words between different fan clubs, without them realizing that their favorite player wouldn't be as good if the other two didn't push him enough.

Reflecting on the issue, Hungarian-American chess grandmaster Susan Polgar recently took to social media to appeal to fans for a civilized debate. The 53-year-old stated that whether it was chess legends Robert James Fischer, Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, or the Big 3, everyone should pick their favorite, but at the same time, enjoy the brilliance of others.

"The GOAT debate should be civilized, and the fans should have the right to choose their GOAT(S), whether it is Fischer, Carlsen, Kasparov, or someone else. Same with tennis between Djokovic, Nadal, or Federer. We all have our favorites and let’s just enjoy their brilliance," Polgar said.

At the start of the year, Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer were tied for 20 Grand Slam titles each. The Spaniard was the first to reach 21 when he lifted his second Australian Open title in January. He further extended his lead by winning the 2022 French Open in June. Djokovic took another step forward when he won his seventh Wimbledon title in July. Federer has been out of action for a long time due to a knee injury.

Out of the last 77 Grand Slam events, the three players have won 63 of them, showing their supremacy and making multiple great players look average.

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"Novak is one of the most important players in the last 20 years" - Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal (L) and Novak Djokovic at the 2022 French Open

Novak Djokovic has missed his second Grand Slam of the year due to his unvaccinated status against the coronavirus. In a pre-tournament press conference at the US Open, Rafael Nadal was asked about the Serb's absence from the draw. The Spaniard expressed his grief and stated that he always looks forward to the best players' participation at an event.

"In some ways, we know that Novak will not play for a while if nothing changes in terms of the rules," Rafael Nadal said. "It is a very sad news. It's always a shame when the best players of the world are not able to play a tournament because of injuries or because of different reasons. It's tough for the fans, tough for the tournament, tough for the players, too, because we want to have the best field possible."

However, the 22-time Grand Slam winner also stated that no player is bigger than the sport itself. Giving examples of the numerous times that he missed tournaments, Rafael Nadal said that tennis will continue with or without top players.

On the other hand, I repeat what I said plenty of times — the sport is bigger than any player. I missed a lot of important events in my career because of injuries. The world of tennis keep going. Even if it is not good news for everyone, the world continues and tennis will continue after me, after Novak, after Roger. Without a doubt, Novak is one of the most important players in the last 20 years. I feel sorry for him that he's not able to travel here," he added.