Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have been the backbone of men’s tennis for the last three decades. The ‘Big Four’ were the four best players in the world, during their prime years, souring tennis to heights it had never seen before. Nadal, Federer and Djokovic soon took over and won an astonishing 66 Grand Slams among them.

During their dominance, the ‘Big Three’ broke numerous records which are almost assured to be never broken again. However, Rafael Nadal has one such feat to his name that none of Federer, Djokovic and Murray can ever match.

Nadal has completed 23 years on the professional tour which started when he was just 15 years old. The Spanish star is still an active player and has dominated the men’s division for more than two decades. He is the only player among the ‘Big Four’ to claim the World No. 1 ranking in three different decades.

Nadal first reached the World No. 1 ranking on 18 August 2008 after winning the French Open and Wimbledon. He even added the Olympic Gold medal to his tally and ended the year as the top-ranked player in the world. Since then, he has held the World No. 1 ranking in 2010s and 2020s. He was last ranked as the best player in the world in February 2020, making him the only player among the ‘Big Four’ to hold the World No. 1 spot in three different decades.

Compared to Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have held the World No.1 spot longer but not across three decades. Federer first became the top-ranked player in the world in February 2004 and last claimed the throne in June 2018, having held the top spot across two decades.

Similarly, Djokovic became the World No. 1 for the first time in July 2011 after defeating Nadal in the Wimbledon final. The Serbian superstar went on to win 24 Grand Slam titles and is still dominating the men’s game. Djokovic last held the World No. 1 rank in June 2024, but it is unlikely that he will break Nadal’s record of claiming the World No. 1 spot across three decades.

Rafael Nadal is the only player in tennis history to win multiple Grand Slam titles across three decades

Along with his record of holding the top spot in men’s ranking across three decades, Rafael Nadal is also the only player in tennis history to win more than one Grand Slam title in three different decades.

Nadal won six Grand Slam titles in the 2000s, claiming four French Open and one Wimbledon and Australian Open title each. The Spanish star completed his career Grand Slam by winning the US Open in 2010 and went on to win 13 more Majors during the 2010s.

Later in the 2020s, Nadal won a further three Grand Slam titles, winning the French Open twice in 2020 and 2022, while also winning the Australian Open in 2022. Nadal’s longevity has enabled him to be the only player to win multiple Grand Slam titles across three decades.

Compared to Nadal, Djokovic and Federer have failed to win more than one Grand Slams across three decades. Federer won multiple Majors in the 2000s and 2010s but retired in 2022 without winning a Grand Slam title in the 2020s. Similarly, Djokovic only managed to win one Grand Slam in the 2000s, the Australian Open in 2008 before winning multiple Majors in the 2010s and the 2020s.