David Nalbandian is one of the best players in tennis history to never win a Grand Slam singles title.
Nalbandian, who boasted one of the best backhands on Tour, is the only Argentine player in history to have reached the semi-finals or better at all four major tournaments.
The former world number three, a runner-up at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, is the only player in history to have defeated Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at a single ATP Tour event.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are considered to be the three greatest players in men’s tennis history, having won 60 Grand Slam titles among them.
However, the order in which those players are ranked is still a subject of debate.
David Nalbandian says Novak Djokovic is the ‘best’ ahead of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
Speaking on ‘Clank!‘, David Nalbandian identified Novak Djokovic as the superior player ahead of Nadal and Federer, adding that he had no qualms about his choice.
He said: “I think there is unanimity, but also different tastes. Without a doubt, Nole is the best. By results, numbers, everything.
“Now: you may like Roger and Rafa more, who are a little lower in the number, but they were much more symbolic for people.
“For me, Djokovic is the best, without a doubt. You may like it more or less, but for me there are no doubts.
“In addition, Nole helped Roger and Rafa to continue improving and continue to have goals. Between the three they strengthened themselves.”
It is easy to understand why Nalbandian selected Djokovic. The Serbian star has won 24 Grand Slam titles during his career, four more than Federer and two more than Nadal.
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He has also held the world number one spot for the longest period in tennis history and holds the record for the most Australian Open Men’s Singles titles won, with 10 to his name.
Djokovic is preparing for yet another ATP Tour campaign and recently practised with Greek rising star Rafael Pagonis.
David Nalbandian’s 2002 Wimbledon run
Heading into the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, Nalbandian was seeded 28th and a clear outsider for the title.
However, the draw played out in his favour – he did not play another seeded player until the quarter-finals.
In the first four rounds, Nalbandian defeated David Sanchez, wildcard Paul-Henri Mathieu, lucky loser George Bastl and unseeded Wayne Arthurs.
The Argentine won back-to-back five-set matches in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, defeating Nicolas Lapentti and Xavier Malisse.
In the final, Nalbandian lost to top seed Lleyton Hewitt, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2. It was Hewitt’s second Grand Slam triumph following his victory at the 2001 US Open.
