American analyst removes Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal from the GOAT debate, claims Laver, Borg, Sampras are better candidates against Novak Djokovic’s status

Gill Gross thinks players from earlier should also be considered for the 'GOAT' debate.

American analyst removes Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal from the GOAT debate, claims Laver, Borg, Sampras are better candidates against Novak Djokovic’s status

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal (L), Bjorn Born, Rod Laver (Centre) and Novak Djokovic (R) (Credits: The Economic Times, International Tennis Hall Of Fame and Tennis365)

Tennis analyst Gill Gross recently offered a different take on the ongoing GOAT debate in tennis. During a recent episode of his podcast Monday Match Analysis, the American delved into the complex discussion of dissecting the GOAT debate to announce a clear winner.

He compared eras tennis eras and raised the question of whether Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could be considered “retrograde” when measured against Novak Djokovic. The Serb has definitely surpassed the duo in terms of numbers. He recently won his record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title which is the most any male player has ever won. Therefore he is in a different league compared to Federer and Nadal who have 20 and 22 Grand Slam titles respectively.

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Gross suggests that the GOAT debate makes more sense when compared to legends like Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, and Pete Sampras, who competed in earlier eras. The American says that athleticism and longevity are better now due to the advancing times. He thinks that winning on all three surfaces before was much more formidable.

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Although Djokovic definitely wins in terms of records but Gross emphasizes that historical context should be taken into consideration. He states that Djokovic might be the most accomplished player now. However, he believes due to historical differences he cannot be considered the greatest.

He said,“These are things you would have to point to to make an argument that – yes, Djokovic is the most accomplished player of all time but for these reasons, to put it in the historical context and to look at all the factors, he’s not necessarily the greatest of all time.”

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Gill Gross talks about the mental game of the Big Three

Gill Gross highlighted the mental aspect of tennis in his latest podcast episode. While discussing the GOAT debate he also focused on what makes them different from the rest. He believes that tennis is not just a physical battle but a mental one as well.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic (Credits: Tennis365)

He pointed out Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have exceptional mental resilience with their technical skills. This mental fortitude allows them to stay calm under pressure and come through in the crucial moments of the match. It helps them recover from setbacks and maintain their high-level performance throughout their careers.

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