Venus and Serena Williams' childhood coach, Rick Macci, has ignited a discussion among tennis fans by asserting that Novak Djokovic had a better career than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Over the last two decades, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, collectively referred to as the 'Big 3,' have dominated the landscape of men's tennis. The trio boasts a combined total of 66 Grand Slam titles, solidifying their status as the greatest players in the sport.
Rick Macci recently shared his insights on the Big 3, praising Federer for his exceptional serve and Nadal for his impressive topspin, while asserting that the 24-time Grand Slam champion had the 'best career' among them.
"Of the BIG 3 @rogerfederer had the best serve.@RafaelNadal had the best topspin @DjokerNole had the best career," Macci posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Several fans concurred with Macci's assessment, even going as far as to say that Djokovic's recent accomplishments have rendered the term 'Big 3' meaningless.
"There is no longer a big three. There’s Nole and then the rest," a fan commented.
"Big 3 no more. Biggest 1 yeah still winning. Djokovic 🐏," another fan chimed in.
Other fans, however, argued against the notion of labeling the Serb's career as the best, claiming that he faced weaker opponents than his arch-rivals.
"Yes beating Tsitsipas, Ruud, Fritz, Rublev, etc. means you had the best career," one fan wrote.
"Nah. Novaxx had it easy in a weak 8 year period till now," another user posted.
Here are a few more fan reactions from tennis fans:
"If it goes on 2-3 years, Novak Djokovic runs the risk of not only overtaking but even overwhelming Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal"- Tennis commentator
Novak Djokovic exceeded all expectations this season by winning three Major titles and becoming the player with the most Slams in the Open Era. The 24-time Grand Slam champion not only surpassed Rafael Nadal's tally of 22 Majors but also significantly extended his lead over Roger Federer, who retired with 20.
With his triumph at the Paris Masters, the Serb clinched his record-extending 40th ATP Masters 1000 title. He also secured his 97th career title, placing him third on the all-time list.
Tennis commentator Guido Monaco recently highlighted Djokovic's remarkable title count and suggested that if he maintains his current form for the next few years, he would not only "overtake" Federer and Nadal but also "overwhelm" them.
"It's easy to say that sporting results aren't everything. Of course, there is also elegance, behavior, the example you can give, how much charity you do, what image you give of the athlete, how much you have done for tennis and much more, but sports titles are those for which these phenomena are they [second to]," Guido Monaco said, as quoted by OASport.
"We must give due weight to these results. If it goes on like this for 2-3 years, he runs the risk of not only overtaking but even overwhelming [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal," he added.
The Serb will now attempt to break Federer's record of six ATP Finals titles, having tied the Swiss in 2022 with his victory in Turin, Italy.
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