Shaq Names His Pick for GOAT Out of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal
Basketball great Shaquille O'Neal has revealed who he believes is the greatest of all time from tennis' iconic 'big three' of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Tennis fans have long debated who deserves the GOAT title, and the trio are widely regarded as some of the sport's best ever players.
Federer won 20 Grand Slam titles during his career, including a record eight Wimbledons and a joint-record five US Opens.
Nadal finished his career with 22 Grand Slams, including an astonishing 14 French Opens, cementing his status as the greatest clay court player of all time.
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Djokovic is the only member of the trio still active, chasing an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam.
He is currently playing at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, a tennis exhibition tournament held as part of the ongoing Riyadh Season.
The 38-year-old Serbian was seeded in the six-player event, earning him a bye straight into Thursday's semi-final.
His next opponent, Italian world number two Jannik Sinner was unseeded, but defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas with ease in the quarter-finals.
Ahead of Thursday's clash, four-time NBA champion and former MVP O'Neal weighed in on the GOAT debate, and he sided with Djokovic.
Speaking at a ceremony in Saudi Arabia alongside Djokovic, O'Neal said: "I’m sitting next to the greatest of all time. I’m a fan."
Many tennis fans argue that Djokovic is the GOAT, pointing to his 24 Grand Slam titles.
He has also demonstrated impressive longevity, and is still competing at the highest level at the age of 38, with no plans to retire.
Speaking ahead of his Six Kings Slam semi-final, he said: “Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. I want to see how far I can go.”
Host Max Kellerman responded: “The young guys will have to beat you into retirement. You’re not going to go away.”
Djokovic replied: “It’s not happening, sorry."
Although Djokovic's 24 Grand Slam victories may seem a formidable total, it has not put off Alcaraz.
The Spaniard, who has won two majors this year, including the recent US Open, is ambitious about breaking Djokovic's record.
Last month, when asked by the BBC if he plans to break Djokovic's Grand Slam tally, he said: "Yes, of course. I am an ambitious guy.
"I know it is almost impossible to break Novak’s records, but I’m playing tennis for myself, for joy and I want to do great things. I want to be part of tennis history."
Alcaraz, who already has six Grand Slams, is most likely to face competition from Sinner, who has four major titles.
The pair have emerged as the dominant forces in men's tennis, leaving fans to wonder whether it is the start of a new dominant era.
Topics: Shaquille ONeal, Novak Djokovic, Tennis, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
James Taylor