What separates Andre Agassi from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic?

The GOAT debate has engulfed tennis since time immemorial, and Andre Agassi has been a part of it for a long time. It is only in the last few years, thanks to the superhuman feats of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, that the American's name has sometimes been missing from the conversation.

With three men reaching the 20-Grand Slam mark, Agassi's tally of eight Majors doesn't look nearly as impressive anymore. Even before Federer, Nadal and Djokovic came along, Agassi didn't have the all-time Slam record.

Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors both had eight too, while Bjorn Borg had 11. Pete Sampras, meanwhile, eclipsed everyone by reaching the then unthinkable number of 14 Grand Slams.

So why is Agassi considered just as important as the other greats, if not more? What has the American done that the others haven't?

For starters, Andre Agassi has completed the Career Grand Slam - winning all four Majors at least once. Sampras hasn't; he never won the French Open (two Australian Opens, seven Wimbledons and five US Opens). Borg hasn't; he won neither the Australian Open nor the US Open (six French Opens and five Wimbledons).

Connors hasn't either, having never won the French Open (one Australian Open, two Wimbledons and five US Opens). Nor has Lendl, having never won Wimbledon (two Australian Opens, three French Opens and three US Opens).

The Big 3 all have though, and apart from Agassi, they are the only three men to have achieved the feat in the Open Era.

But four becomes two when the Career Golden Slam is considered - winning all four Grand Slams plus the Olympic gold medal. Only Rafael Nadal and Agassi have the honor of recording this feat, with Djokovic (best finish: bronze) and Federer (best finish: silver) dropping out of the list.

While Nadal won the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Agassi won the 1996 edition in his home country. The American defeated Sergi Burguera in the final as the top seed.

Then there is the Career Super Slam, which only Agassi has achieved - winning all four Grand Slams, the Olympic gold medal and the ATP Finals. Nadal has never won the year-end Championships. Agassi, meanwhile, reigned supreme in 1990, registering wins over Pete Sampras, Emilio Sanchez (group stage), Boris Becker (semifinals), and Stefan Edberg (final).

Andre Agassi, therefore, remains the only man to have won every 'big title' there is to achieve in the sport, something that has eluded even the most successful of the lot.

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"It is different to say who has the best career and it is different to say when somebody is playing at their best, who is the best" - Andre Agassi on the GOAT debate

Off Court At The 2019 Australian Open

Andre Agassi himself has frequently made his thoughts on the GOAT debate clear. The American stated back in 2022 that he was reserving judgment until all three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were retired.

"I think if you took the three best to talk about - obviously Roger, Rafa & Novak. It is different to say who has the best career and it is different to say when somebody is playing at their best, who is the best," Andre Agassi said. "The problem in answering that is that their careers are still going on, you know what I mean. So there’s still a lot to be determined."

While Federer has already hung up his racquet with 20 Grand Slam titles under his belt, Nadal and Djokovic are tied with 22 each and are still going strong in the Slam race.