Despite being two of the greatest players tennis has witnessed, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have failed to eclipse a player who has never won a Grand Slam.
This player is currently ranked outside the top 90, but has proven to be one of the best closers of matches in professional tennis history.
In fact, only Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe have won a higher percentage of deciding sets.
Only a certain type of player is able to win deciding sets at such a high clip: one who is dogged, ice-cool and an expert in handling pressurised situations.
This particular star has demonstrated his familiarity with all of these qualities.
Kei Nishikori has a higher win percentage in deciding sets than Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz
Kei Nishikori looked set to become one of the best players of his generation during the middle portion of the 2010s, after reaching his first Grand Slam final at the US Open and climbing all the way to world number four.
However, an extended spate of injuries has hampered the Japanese star’s progress, meaning he has never quite been able to match his previous high standards.
Despite not winning a Slam, Nishikori leads two major winners – Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic – in a key statistic.
As per the ATP Win/Loss Index, the Japanese star holds the third-highest win percentage in deciding sets, ahead of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
Nishikori has a win percentage of 72.4 per cent, while Djokovic and Alcaraz have win percentages of 71.9 and 70.9 per cent respectively.
Nishikori’s most recent deciding set victory came in the 2025 Madrid Open second round, where he defeated Aleksandar Vukic 6-4 3-6 6-3.
| Player | Deciding Set Win Percentage | Career Record |
| Bjorn Borg | 73.4 | 102-37 |
| John McEnroe | 72.8 | 126-47 |
| Kei Nishikori | 72.4 | 157-60 |
| Novak Djokovic | 71.9 | 218-85 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 70.9 | 61-25 |
| Rod Laver | 70.1 | 131-56 |
| Rafael Nadal | 68.8 | 185-84 |
| Johan Kriek | 68.5 | 85-39 |
| Jimmy Connors | 68.3 | 179-83 |
| Pete Sampras | 67.9 | 167-79 |
Roger Federer’s low ranking
When studying the list further, another surprising revelation reveals itself.
For all his success, Roger Federer has the 28th-best deciding set record of all time, leaving the Swiss star 21 places off Rafael Nadal and 24 places adrift from Novak Djokovic.
Federer’s win percentage of 64.7 per cent is far from terrible.
However, it does see him land behind the likes of Eddie Dibbs and Alex Metreveli: players who achieved far less than Federer.
