Is Djoker the tennis GOAT according to stats?

Novak Djokovic clinched his 10th Australian Open title after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas by 6-3, 7-6, 7-6. This is also his 22nd Grand Slam in total which sees him equal the record of winning the most number of Grand Slams by a male tennis player, shared with Rafael Nadal.

Now, the question is fairly inevitable. Is Novak Djokovic the greatest tennis player of all time? What do the statistics say? How about a comparison between the 'big three' of men's tennis?

Djokovic, in his 22 grand slams, has won 10 Australian Open, he's a seven-time Wimbledon winner, and he conquered the US open thrice along with the French open twice. 

Nadal, on the other hand, has won 14 French open titles, but he hasn't won any of the other three majors more than twice. 

Roger Federer was the first man to reach 20 grand slams in men's tennis, he waved goodbye to the sport due to his injury problems. Federer holds the record of most Wimbledon title wins which he raised in the air for 8 times, along with 6 Australian Open, and five US open. His only nemesis, was the French Open which he could lift only just once. 

Djokovic also has 6 ATP tour final championships to his name, which is the second most prestigious tournament in Tennis after the four Grand Slams. Federer won this accolade five times, and Nadal has a big zero to his name. 

In total career titles, Federer is leading the way by a fair margin, having won 103 titles in his career, Federer is only the second man to win more than 100 career titles. 

Djokovic is second, counting his latest triumph he has pocketed 94 career titles where Nadal is sitting just behind him with 92. As Djokovic and Nadal are still playing, it would not be a surprise if they surpass Federer's tally of total career titles. 

The Grand Slam battle is now between these two players only, Federer has already cut himself out of the Scene. The age is not so friendly at the moment for both Djoker and Rafa. One is approaching 36 in six months while the other is almost 37. 

Although, the next generation is showing no signs of stepping up. The 17 of the last 20 grand slams have been won by either Djokovic or Nadal. The younger ones are failing miserably to fill up the shoes of the veterans because they are still getting schooled by their masters.  

Let's focus on our primary objective which is to settle the GOAT debate, well only if we can. The Messi and Ronaldo duo have been ruling football since 2007. Not a single player could challenge the legacy of these two legends let alone match them. One or two players really tried hard, but only to poke a needle under a mountain. How did that work? It didn't.

The same could not be said about tennis, actually, it was going smoothly, the battle between Federer and Nadal. One with all the aesthetic shots in his hat that a Tennis coach would be proud of, another with sheer power and stamina to wreak havoc on the Tennis court. 

Until another lean and tall guy decided to show up. Novak Djokovic burst into the scene of Tennis in the year 2008 when he won his first Grand Slam. He beat Roger Federer on his way to the final at Rod Laver arena. Since then, it was never been the same in Tennis. 

Djokovic then went on to win title after title, causing serious damage to the legacy of both Fed express and Rafa. Writing his very own legend, Djokovic made himself a part of Tennis folklore. 

You would not like his style of play that much, to be honest, feels pretty boring at times. But his ability of relentless shot playing, his never-ending try of keeping the opponent to its backhand, and his horse-like stamina would make your jaw fall once or twice.

Djokovic has broken pretty much every record in Tennis, he is the highest-earning player of all time. He has been at the top of the ranking for the most number of weeks. He won more than a thousand games in his career, not a lot of players have been able to achieve that. 

On top of everything, Djokovic remained humble and showed respect toward every single opponent he has ever had. He played the game of Tennis with seriousness yet his attitude hasn't fallen off the mark in his almost 20 years long career. 

The Australian Open is his kingdom, he rules this place like no other. Certainly, not being able to play in the 2022 version has taken its toll on Djoker. You could see how he was crying like a baby when he got mixed with his coaching staff. But, he came back, and he owns the crown once again like he never left it. 

Rafael Nadal must be seeing this from his home in Mallorca, the tournament which he pretty much owns, the French Open is coming in five months' time. So, he would have something to say in this GOAT debate. 

Nonetheless, the GOAT debate in Tennis seems to not fade away so soon. At least, till these two legends are still on the hunt. And trust me when I say this, they are not finished yet.