Everybody get im own opinion about who be the Greatest Of All Time for tennis, and no one get final answer. Or dem get? As Wimbledon don come back plus BBC daily coverage of di biggest tennis tournament, na so di biggest debate for sport don return: who be di GOAT?
Na question wey heavy well well because men and women game don produce plenty unbelievable players. You go pick based on stats? Or based on who dominate pass? Or just based on who win di most Grand Slams? Or you go pick di player wey you enjoy watch pass, di one wey make you fall in love with tennis? Na why di answer dey sweet – plenty options dey.
Novak Djokovic dey try to certify imself as di men GOAT, at least for statistics, with a 25th Grand Slam. Nobody don ever win more than 24, record wey di Serb hold with Margaret Court. Djokovic still dey Wimbledon draw this year, don reach quarter-final stage. Di 39-year-old veteran no don win major since 2023 US Open, don lose two Grand Slam finals and five semi-finals since then – most of dem to di younger and fresher duo Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. But Djokovic be di only man for history to be di reigning champion of all four majors, across three different playing surfaces, at di same time. E don also win di Career Grand Slam three times.
Serena Williams also back for Wimbledon this year. She no win but just to play her first singles match in four years na achievement, because di American now be 44 and only get another baby for 2023. Serena be di only player to accomplish Career Golden Slam for both singles and doubles. But she no be di most successful woman of all time. Dat accolade go to Margaret Court, wey for total lift 64 major titles with 19 majors for women doubles and another 21 for mixed doubles.
Di great Roger Federer also watch from Royal Box at SW19 this week, and though e finish on 20 Slams – four less than Djokovic – plenty people dey argue say di Swiss be di GOAT. Federer play with grace and style wey almost no match. And im great rival, Rafael Nadal, be another wey get strong claim to di crown. A 23-time Slam winner, nobody don win di same major more times than Nadal do at French Open – 14 times. No wonder dem call am ‘King of Clay’. Im rivalry with Federer arguably be di best wey di sport ever see.
