Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal are the winningest tennis players ever with 62 total Grand Slams, but how many times has each won Wimbledon?
In a few years time, if it hasn’t dawned on you already, you will look back at the last couple decades and realize just how lucky we were. It’s rare to see greatness in the flesh, and each generation has their candidate for the best of all-time in a particular. While there may be a debate as to who is best, there is no question the tennis has been living its golden age for the last two decades.
It’s never happened and will never happen again
In many sports it’s up for debate as parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren tussle about is the greatest of all time. Most of the time this debate is not quantifiable because you’re comparing two athletes who never competed against each other.
Think of Messi and Maradona. Think of Jordan and James. Think of Brady and Montana. These generational talents that mark a before and after in their sports’ history enrapture the world for the length of their careers until they hang it up and make way for the next wave of talent to try to fill their shoes.
If we are lucky some of these greats overlap with one and other, but never does it happen that three of the best all-time are playing at their peak for over a decade.
Sixty-two grand slams between Rafa, Roger and Nole
You can say Ronaldo and Messi’s strangle hold on the soccer world is coming to and end after decades of dominance. Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan played against each other albeit Jordan was a shadow of what he was by the time Kobe became Kobe. Kobe and LeBron overlapped as well, but by the time LeBron started winning championships, Kobe’s reign over the NBA was over.
Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have had a triumvirate on the tennis world since Novak, who is the youngest of the three, won his first Grand Slam in the 2008 Australian Open.
They are the greatest of all time. And they have shared the stage for the last decade and a half. Between them they have a total of 62 Grand Slams, with Rafa Nadal leading with a record 22. Djoker and Federer each have 20, and while it seems like Roger’s days of winning Slams are over, Djokovic isn’t just favorite to win this year’s Wimbledon but favorite to end his career with the most Grand Slams in the history of the sport.
Roger Federer is not around for this year’s Wimbledon, a Grand Slam tournament he won more than any other in his career. Rafa Nadal is still in the running after defeating Botic Van de Zandschulp to secure his spot in the quarters. Djokovic is the defending champion at the All-England Club, and is the clear cut favorite to take the title at Wimbledon. Each of these greats knows what it is like to win titles on the famous grass courts, but who has the most Wimbledon titles?
Roger Federer: 8
Federer won his first Grand Slam ever at the All England Club in 2003 when he defeated Mark Phillippoussos, and that started a long love affair between he and the classy fans at Wimbledon. He would go on to win in seven more times including five in a row from 2003-2007 beating Rafa Nadal in two of those finals. His last title at Wimbledon came 2017 when he defeated Maric Čilic. With the win over Čilic Federer surpassed Pete Sampras and and Wiliam Reneshaw to become the king of Wimbledon. His record eight titles on grass is coming under threat as Djokovic inches closer as each year passes.
Novak Djokovic: 6
Nole’s first taste of victory at Wimbledon came in a fabulous season in which he announced there was a new powerhouse in Men’s tennis. In 2011, Djoker won his second Grand Slam title at the Aussie Open, and while his hard court presence was already noted around the tour, he would go on two win two of the next three Grand Slams that year. He missed out on the French, but won his first Wimbledon championship against Rafa Nadal and then US Open later that season. He would go on to win five more, including back-to-back bids in 2014 and 2015, beating Federer in both finals. He would do it again in 2018 and 2019 first defeating Kevin Anderson and then Federer again. He is now looking to go back-to-back for a third time at Wimbledon after beating Matteo Berrittini last year. At the moment it looks like the only man who might be able to stop him from a third back-to-back bid is Rafa Nadal.
Rafa Nadal: 2
We all know Rafa is the King of Clay. He has won 14 Grand Slams at Roland Garros which is better than any other tennis player on any other surface. While his dominance is unmatched and unquestioned on the red courts in Paris, the grass courts of Wimbledon have not treated him as kindly. He won his first title at the All England Club back in 2008 when he and Roger Federer went to a tie break in a five set thriller. Nadal would win his second and last Wimbledon two years later when he defeated Thomas Berdych in straight sets.
