Many players will have ended their tennis career with the accolade of having beaten the Big Three, and for some, that may be their biggest accomplishment.
After all, the dominance exerted by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic across two decades was immense, with this trio boasting a stranglehold on men’s tennis unlike anything we have ever seen before, or likely will ever see again.
Just to notch one win over any of them would mark a career highlight, yet there were a select few who actually managed to snag a handful of victories over them.
Andy Murray, as the honorary fourth member of their dominant group, naturally pushed them hard and clawed some crucial victories from them.
Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka and Alexander Zverev more recently had the pleasure of snagging wins against all three of them.
However, it’s worth wondering who has the very best record against the Big Three of all time. It could only be Dominic Thiem.
How good really was Dominic Thiem?
A man whose legacy will likely be frustratingly remembered for the injuries he suffered, Thiem is the prime example of a ‘what could have been’ career.
Blessed with incredible talent and a one-handed backhand that could rival Federer’s at its peak, he managed to enjoy a hugely successful career despite spending so much time on the sidelines.
A Grand Slam champion in 2020 when he beat the aforementioned Zverev at the US Open, he is also a two-time finalist at Roland Garros and a one-time finalist in Melbourne too, but sadly could not bypass Nadal or Djokovic respectively on the biggest stage.
Alas, few can begrudge him, and his exploits in challenging them have earned their eternal respect.
As Thiem announced his retirement just last year, after a wrist injury sustained in 2021 finally forced him to call time on his career, Federer led the eulogies: ‘An illustrious career comes to a close. Congratulations Domi.
‘No matter the surface, you always found a way to beat me with your thunderous backhands. But more importantly, you did it with grace and sportsmanship.’
Djokovic, meanwhile, would state: ‘I would like to congratulate him on a great Grand Slam career. Just one of the nicest guys on the Tour for many years. He’s been respected. He’s been admired. He’s been loved by his peers, by colleagues, by everyone on the Tour.
‘He put in so much work over the years and I think he was a great example for many players that see what’s happening, so to say, behind the scenes. He always puts in the extra work, and the tenacity and intensity that he brings on and off the court in everything he does is something really remarkable.’
Ironically, Thiem is now the proud owner of a football club, having founded Ecoballers FC and even played a handful of times for them as well.
It seems that, despite a career ravaged by injury, he just cannot escape the athletes’ lifestyle.
Dominic Thiem’s record against Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
The reason that he commands such respect from these figures is not only due to his fine career, but also because he actually boasts the best-ever win rate of any player to have faced all three of these legendary figures over a significant period.
As mentioned earlier, Murray has a combined win/loss ratio of 29 and 56, giving him a 34% win rate.
Dominic Thiem’s record vs the Big Three
| Wins | Losses | |
| Vs Roger Federer | 5 | 2 |
| Vs Rafael Nadal | 6 | 10 |
| Vs Novak Djokovic | 5 | 7 |
Zverev’s 13 wins and 19 losses give him a slightly improved 40%, whilst Wawrinka is far from the mark, having won 12, lost 63, and thus earned a meagre 16% win rate.
Other notable names are Juan Martin Del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lleyton Hewitt, but all of their win rates pale in comparison to Thiem.
He won seven times against Djokovic, six more against Nadal, and enjoyed the bulk of his success against Federer given his 5-2 record, losing just 19 times against the three combined.
That thus leaves him with an impressive win rate of 45% and a positive record. This highlights both the eternal quality of Thiem, as well as the impossible standards set by the three greatest male players in the sport’s history.
