Rafael Nadal will forever be involved in arguments over who is the greatest tennis player of all time.
After all, his name remains justifiably intertwined within this debate.
With 22 Grand Slam titles, multiple Olympic gold medals, and nearly every other elite honour that the sport can offer under his belt, it’s no surprise that he remains so revered even two years after his retirement.
However, ahead of the release of his new Netflix documentary, Rafael Nadal has finally offered his official verdict on the GOAT debate.
Rafael Nadal gives his thoughts on the tennis GOAT debate
Speaking to CNN, the interviewer did not hold back when posing questions to this legendary tennis star.
She simply asked: “Are you the GOAT?”
This drew a laugh from Nadal, who swiftly shut that suggestion down: “No. In terms of numbers, no.”
Do you think Rafael Nadal is the GOAT? 🐐
He continued: “If I did [celebrate his Roland Garros record] then why not? But why not another one can come and beat that?
“That said, it’s obvious that it’s something difficult to repeat because, I mean, you have to put a lot of things together and in some ways you need some luck.”
Martina Navratilova has named her tennis GOAT in the past, and it actually is not one of Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic.
Rafael Nadal would be the undisputed GOAT if not for injuries
As Nadal references, based on numbers alone, he cannot be considered the greatest tennis player of all time.
However, there is crucial context that needs adding when discussing his list of achievements in particular, given all the physical difficulties he dealt with throughout his career.
Novak Djokovic is the tennis GOAT… Prove us wrong
The Spaniard actually missed 18 Grand Slam tournaments during his playing days. For comparison, his great rivals Djokovic and Federer missed just nine combined, although the Serbian also missed a further two because of COVID-related sanctions.
Injuries completely ravaged Nadal’s chances of winning far more than the ludicrous number he already did, and the fact he was so successful despite his physical impediments arguably makes his achievements even greater.
It’s clear that, were it not for his terrible luck throughout his career, he would now be viewed as the true tennis GOAT.
