TAKE FIVE: IS RAFAEL NADAL THE GOAT?
Is Rafael Nadal the GOAT?
By Alessandro Di Benedetto
Rafael Nadal has 22 Major titles, 14 of which were won at the French Open, where he has an incredible win ratio of 96,5%. These vertiginous numbers place the Spanish tennis star on the shortlist of players considered the Greatest of All Time – or GOAT, as the USA loves to say.
But is he really THE greatest of all time? Guy Forget, French former tennis player, made a bold statement a couple of weeks ago, saying that he is “putting Rafa above sporting greats such as Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and Pelé”.
Since it’s genuinely impossible to compare top athletes from different sports, let’s assess if Nadal is at least the GOAT in tennis. Factually, he holds the record for most Major victories. He has won countless battles against the top players of his generation, over and over again. Some would argue that’s all that really counts when it comes to determining who’s the absolute best.
But others affirm that the GOAT debate is about more than stats and total victories. That it is also about heart, and needs to take player likeability and reputation into account. So even though Rafael Nadal now holds the record for most Major titles, many people still consider Roger Federer to be the GOAT in tennis. Although he has “only” won 20 Major titles, he is credited with having changed the way the game is played, imparting a style that is now taught in a lot of tennis schools.
Source: AFP
Another point we marketers like to include in assessing the GOAT is sponsorship value. It’s connected to likeability and influences perception. In 2022, Roger Federer ranked seventh among Forbes list of highest-paid athletes, not only because of his tennis earnings, but because of deals with partner brands that helped elevate him to icon status. Rafael Nadal, on the other hand, is not even mentioned in this ranking.
These nuances are why choosing a GOAT sparks endless debates that we can never truly settle. But that’s also the beauty of it.
So, do you think Rafa Nadal is the GOAT in tennis?
Let us know in the comments!