Roger Federer says Rafael Nadal "made the whole tennis world proud" with his "epic career" as he paid tribute ahead of his retirement at the end of the Davis Cup Finals.

The 38-year-old, a 22-time grand slam champion, is hoping to help Spain win the tournament taking place in Malaga this week, after confirming his retirement back in October.

Nadal has not played a competitive match since losing to Novak Djokovic at the Olympics in August, and it is not yet clear how big of a role he will play when Spain take on the Netherlands in the opening match of the Finals against the Netherlands.

Federer, who retired in 2022 having won 20 grand slams, was one of Nadal's great rivals, winning 16 matches and losing 24 of the pair's meetings.

"Let's start with the obvious: you beat me - a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no-one else could," an "emotional" Federer wrote on Instagram.

"On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game - even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.

"You made me enjoy the game even more.

"Maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was - until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly.

"All that buzz I'd been hearing about you about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday - it wasn't just hype.

"We were both at the start of our journey, and it's one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you've had. Including 14 French Opens - historic!

"You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud."

Federer, who won his final meeting with Nadal before his retirement at Wimbledon in 2019, paired up with the Spaniard for the last match of his career in the doubles for Europe at the Laver Cup.

"It means everything to me that you were there by my side - not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career," he added.

"Rafa, I know you're focused on the last stretch of your epic career.

"We will talk when it's done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success.

"And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next."

Novak Djokovic said a part of him had "left" after Rafael Nadal followed his other great rivals Roger Federer and Andy Murray in announcing his retirement. 

Djokovic enjoyed a long-lasting rivalry with Nadal, along with Federer and Murray, with tennis' 'Big Four' winning a combined 69 grand slam titles. 

The Serbian is currently aiming to join Federer and Jimmy Connors as the only players to achieve 100 ATP Tour-level titles, and is two games away from doing so at the Shanghai Masters. 

Djokovic overcame a plucky display from Czech teenager Jakub Mensik on Friday, coming from a set down to win 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4 and progress to a record 77th semi-final at Masters 1000 events.

The triumph came a day after Nadal confirmed he would retire next month, following 60 head-to-head meetings with Djokovic, the latest coming at the Paris Olympics earlier this year. 

Djokovic won 31 of those encounters, with four coming in grand slam finals at the US Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open. 

With Federer announcing his retirement in 2022 and Murray calling time on his career after the Olympics, Djokovic will soon be the only active player from the 'Big Four' that dominated the sport for many years.

And while the Serbian is still enjoying his tennis, he got emotional at the "overwhelming" feeling of being the last man standing. 

"He has been my greatest rival and my rivalry with him has impacted me the most in my career by far," Djokovic said.

"We knew that moment is coming sooner than later but it's still a shock.

"When it came officially for Roger a few years ago as well, when he announced retirement and Andy as well this year. It's overwhelming for me to be honest.

"I don't know what to make of it. I still enjoy competing but part of me left with them. A big part of me. It's tough news for the tennis world, the sports world.

"Rafa is an inspiration to millions of children around the world so he can be very proud of his career."

The day tennis fans across the globe had feared was coming for some time has finally arrived, with Rafael Nadal confirming his impending retirement on Thursday.

Nadal had previously suggested 2024 was likely to be his final year on the ATP Tour after struggling with injuries throughout a difficult few years.

The Davis Cup Finals, set for Malaga in November, will now be the final event for one of sport's all-time greats.

Here, we delve into the Opta data to run through the best facts and figures from Nadal's astonishing career.

The records

Across the ATP and WTA Tours, only Margaret Court, Novak Djokovic (24 each) and Serena Williams (23) have won more singles grand slam titles than Nadal's 22 in tennis history.

An astonishing 14 of those triumphs came at the French Open (more on that event later), which is the most of any player at a single major in history. Djokovic's 10 Australian Open titles are the second-most by anyone at a particular grand slam.

Nadal's first grand slam title came at the 2005 edition of Roland-Garros, while the 2022 season saw him triumph in the French capital and at the Australian Open, speaking to his remarkable longevity.

He is the only player to win at least one major in 15 different calendar years, and between 2005 and 2014, he never ended a season without a grand slam title. No other player in the Open Era has won at least one major in 10 consecutive seasons. 

Nadal ended 13 different years in the top two of the ATP World Rankings, more than any other player throughout the Open Era.

He is also the only player in the Open Era to win multiple grand slam crowns both as a teenager and when aged over 30, and the only player since 1990 to win more than five ATP Masters 1000 finals before turning 20 (boasting a 6-1 record) and since turning 30 (8-3).

The rivalries

Nadal's exploits are even more impressive when one considers the competition he faced throughout his career, being a part of tennis' 'Big Three' alongside Djokovic and Roger Federer.

The other members of the 'Big Three' (Djokovic – 37, Federer – 31) are the only players to compete in more men's grand slam finals than Nadal in the Open Era (30).

Djokovic (257) and Federer (224) are also the only men to have won more matches against top-10 opponents than Nadal (186) since the ATP Rankings were first published. Nadal has played 289 matches against such opponents (third-most) and his win ratio of 64.4% is the fourth-best among players with a minimum of 100 such victories.

Nadal and Federer, in particular, enjoyed many titanic tussles through the years, not least the 2008 Wimbledon final, which the Spaniard won 6–4 6–4 6–7 (5–7) 6–7 (8–10) 9–7 in four hours and 48 minutes, a match regarded by some as the greatest of all time.

The duo faced off 40 times before the Swiss great retired in 2022, with Nadal edging their head-to-head 24-16 overall and 14-10 in finals.

Djokovic, meanwhile, is the only player to beat Nadal at all four majors, winning 31 of the pair's 60 all-time meetings. 

The King of Clay

While Nadal enjoyed success on all surfaces and at all four majors (plus the Olympic Games), it is Roland-Garros that will be remembered as his tournament.

Nadal's unbelievable 96.6% win rate at the French Open (112 wins from 116 matches) is the best of any player at a grand slam event in men's singles, with only Djokovic (twice), Robin Soderling and Alexander Zverev beating him at the tournament.

Nadal's 112 French Open wins are the most of any man at a single major in the Open Era, while his 14-0 record in Roland-Garros finals is the best recorded by anyone at an event in that span.

His dominance on clay extended beyond Paris, though, with Nadal's total of 63 career clay-court titles are more than anyone else in the Open Era, with Guillermo Vilas second on 49. His win percentage of 90.5% (484-51) on clay is also the best of any player on any individual surface in the Open Era.

At the peak of his powers, Nadal managed an incredible 81 consecutive victories on the surface between 2005 and 2007 – the longest streak on a single surface in the Open Era.

Only three tournaments have been won more than 10 times by the same player in the Open Era – Roland-Garros (14), Barcelona (12) and Monte-Carlo (11), all by Nadal on the clay.

It was perhaps fitting, then, that Nadal's final match at the very top level – at the Paris Olympics in July – saw him soak up the adulation of the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd following a hard-fought defeat to old rival Djokovic.

Current French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz may be the pretender to Nadal's throne, but the title of 'King of Clay' will surely always be his.

Francis Tiafoe enjoyed an important Laver Cup victory over Daniil Medvedev on Saturday, with the American thriving on confidence after feeling "like Roger Federer".

American Tiafoe rallied past Team Europe's Medvedev 3-6 6-4 10-5 to send Team World into a 4-2 lead, at least temporarily.

Carlos Alcaraz soon levelled the team series in Berlin with an impressive 6-4 6-4 victory over Tiafoe's fellow American Ben Shelton.

Swiss great Federer was in the crowd to watch Tiafoe's performance, much to the delight of the 26-year-old.

"Honestly I just started having fun. Laughing with my team, laughing with my team over there and here. Just having a bit of fun and started really finding my rhythm," Tiafoe said.

"The courts are obviously much slower than I'm used to playing on, so it's tough playing Daniil on this court. But after the second set, midway into the second and in the tie-break, I felt like I was Roger Federer, honestly."

Tiafoe had lost all five previous ATP Tour meetings with Medvedev but continued his fine form after reaching the US Open semi-finals for the first time, along with making the final in Cincinnati.

"I just have a lot more confidence in myself. I'm having a lot of fun playing the game at the moment," Tiafoe added. 

"I'm just trying to play the right way and compete as hard as I can, let the chips fall where they may. I respect everyone, but I'm just not fearing anyone at the moment.

"I'm just going out there, taking it to guys and seeing what happens."

Alcaraz fell on his Laver Cup debut in the doubles alongside Alexander Zverev but responded with a near-perfect singles performance against Shelton.

"I'm really happy to be part of Team Europe in the Laver Cup for the first time," Alcaraz said after his first win in the competition.

"I'm trying to be as [good] a partner as I can, as [good] a player as I can to help my team. I played against Ben, a really powerful player, a really tough one.

"I'm pretty happy because I played a really solid match from the beginning until the end of the match."

Taylor Fritz subsequently restored Team World's lead with a 6-4 7-5 victory over Germany's Zverev, before doubles success followed for Shelton and Alejandro Tabilo.

The Team World pair dispatched Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1 6-2, securing a 8-4 lead for their side heading into the third day of action.

Roger Federer believes it would be "phenomenal" if Rafael Nadal prolonged his career into 2025 but admits it is up to the Spaniard himself to make that choice.

Nadal last played at the Paris Olympics, where he competed in both singles and doubles, and has since ruled himself out of the US Open and Laver Cup.

It is still uncertain whether the 22-time grand slam champion will continue to play next season, but his long-time rival Federer would love for him to play on for just a bit longer.

When asked how he felt about Nadal pulling out of the Laver Cup, Federer told dta: "I really hoped he would somehow get a match in the end, but he just said he'd rather not do it, and that he doesn't feel ready.

"But he seems good. I think he just has to decide what to do next, and I think that's what he's going through at the moment. He's done everything for the sport.

"It would be phenomenal if he could go on for another season, but only Rafa himself can answer that. In the end, it might be helpful to make a decision at some point."

Furthermore, the eight-time Wimbledon champion still believes Novak Djokovic is one of the favourites for next year's Australian Open, despite the Serb not picking up a Grand Slam title this season for the first time since 2017.

He said: "Novak, winning the Olympics and playing somewhat, let's say a full season - he didn't bow out because of injuries, he chose to play less, which is normal when you get a bit older.

"I feel like he has chances moving forward. I look forward to Australia, which is the next Slam. I think [Novak is] definitely going to be one of the favourites along with [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz."

Djokovic is a 10-time champion in Melbourne but fell to defeat against Jannik Sinner in this year's semi-finals.

His next event will be at the Shanghai Masters, which commences on October 2.

Andy Murray should be considered at the same level of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as he approaches the end of his career, says Mark Philippoussis.

On Tuesday, Murray confirmed he had withdrawn from what was expected to be his final singles outing at Wimbledon after failing to fully recover from back surgery.

He will play doubles alongside brother Jamie but will now be denied a singles send-off at the tournament he won in 2013 and 2016, making him the only British man to lift the trophy in the Open Era.

While Murray's three grand slam titles put him some way adrift of Djokovic (24), Nadal (22) and Federer (20), 2003 Wimbledon runner-up Philippoussis feels being a multiple major champion in their era makes Murray one of the greats.

"Andy Murray is a great person first of all, I have known him since we were a very young age, I know the family too," Philippoussis told Stats Perform.

"He has an amazing career and people say the top three; they say, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer but I always have him in the top four because I think he was the one who pushed those guys to the limits.

"He's had an amazing career. I wish him luck in his life, in his family life, and his next chapter in the future.

Philippoussis hopes when Murray hangs up his racket, he will stay in the game in some capacity, adding: "What he's brought to the table has been incredible. 

"At the time when you had literally three guys dominating, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. For him to be a multiple grand slam champion, number one in the world and a gold medallist and Davis Cup champion, he's done it all. 

"He might not have the grand slam numbers like the other guys, but he'll definitely go down as one of the greatest. 

"To have done all that when they were dominating the sport is incredibly impressive. It will be sad to see him not at Wimbledon and I hope we'll get a chance to see him one more time.

"I'm proud and it's inspiring to see him still around because he loves the game. Hopefully, he can stay around because he loves the game."

The last few years have seen Murray hampered by injuries, with the Scot undergoing two hip surgeries in 2018 and 2019.

Alexander Bublik, who has won two of five head-to-head meetings with Murray, says watching him frustrated in his bid to recapture past glories has been sad.

"I honestly don't know what to say because he's been struggling and it's painful to see but he enjoys the struggle. The guy is killing himself and he's in pain," he said. 

"It's tough to see because he's been number one in the world, he won three slams, so it's tough for any young player who saw him win big titles, to see him like this."

Roger Federer expressed his hopes for former rivals Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray to "keep playing forever", insisting the ATP Tour is "better with them".

Federer called time on his glittering career in 2022, while the other three - who between them formed tennis' 'big four' - appear not to be far away from joining him in retirement.

Nadal, who will miss Wimbledon to focus on his "last Olympics", and Murray are expected to hang up their racquets this year, with the latter revealing in February that he does not "plan on playing much past this summer".

Meanwhile, 24-time major winner Djokovic is also likely be absent from the grass-court major, having undergone knee surgery following his withdrawal from the French Open last week. 

Now in their late 30s, all three players are certainly at the twilight of their remarkable careers.

But Federer, who says the quartet all now "get on super well" after years of rivalry, hopes they are not finished just yet.

"I really don't think there are any words of advice that I can give him," he told BBC Sport. "Retirement is so deeply personal. When you take that decision, everybody is in a completely different circumstance.

"We've gone through similar things, but I'm too far away to give advice. If [Andy] called me up, I'd be happy to answer some questions. He's had this massive hip issue and what he is doing is inspirational.

"I hope Andy, like Rafa and Novak, can keep playing forever, like a fan. The tour is better with them. I was watching Roland-Garros last week, and I was like: 'Wow, they're so good - I used to do that too!'

"It's tricky sometimes and there’s definitely moments when you don't like a certain opponent, but then you like him so much. It's important to remember this as a player - it is just tennis and, in the end, we can be normal.

"You see us being super friendly with each other after the rivalry, and we get on super well."

Roger Federer insisted his decorated tennis career was "about having grit" as he dismissed the theory that his style of play was "effortless".

Federer is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, with his tally of 20 grand slam men's singles titles only bettered by Novak Djokovic (24) and Rafael Nadal (22).

The Swiss, who also won a record eight times at Wimbledon before retiring from the sport in 2022, was one of the most popular sportsmen of his generation with his classy brand of tennis earning him adulation around the globe.

But Federer rejected claims his ability was "pure talent alone" while delivering a graduation speech at Dartmouth College, where he received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the New Hampshire institution.

"People would say my play was effortless. Most of the time, they meant it as a compliment," he said during the ceremony. "But it used to frustrate me when they would say: 'He barely broke a sweat', or: 'Is he even trying?'.

"The truth is, I had to work very hard to make it look easy. I didn't get where I got on pure talent alone. I got there by trying to outwork my opponents. Most of the time, it's not about having a gift. It's about having grit."

Federer shared the lessons he felt served him well during his glittering career, including the way he dealt with adversity during matches.

"When you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot," he continued. "When you're playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world. 

"But when it's behind you, it's behind you. This mindset is really crucial, because it frees you to fully commit to the next point and the next one after that with intensity, clarity and focus.

"You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That to me is the sign of a champion."

Andy Murray is a "gladiator" and his love for tennis means he could yet prolong his career, according to former world number eight Diego Schwartzman.

Murray has endured a difficult few years with injuries, undergoing surgery on both hips in 2018 and 2019.

The three-time major champion has repeatedly said he is approaching the end of his career, revealing in February that he does not "plan on playing much past this summer".

Murray is currently preparing for what will likely be his final appearance at the French Open, having sat out five of the last six tournaments at Roland-Garros.

Schwartzman, however, feels Murray's love for the game could lead to him playing on for longer than anticipated.  

"His life is tennis and I think he enjoys it. I think this is his legacy," Schwartzman – who won his only tour-level meeting with Murray in Antwerp in 2021 – told Stats Perform.

"No matter what you do, your age or how you are doing, if you really love the sport and you love what you do, you can do it and you can push hard for as many years and as many tournaments as you want.

"He's a fighter, a gladiator, and he's been doing the same since he was very young, and for us also, sharing tournaments and sharing moments, he has the passion out there. 

"So, it's good to see these kinds of guys because tennis always needs guys who love the sport, and this is the one for sure."

Murray would surely have added to his one US Open title and two Wimbledon crowns if not for the presence of the 'big three' of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The Scot has lost five grand slam finals to Djokovic and one to Federer. 

Schwartzman says the importance of preparation is the main thing he learned from being on tour with those three greats, though he refused to say who was the greatest of all time. 

"I know them very well, playing them on court, outside of the court," the Argentine added. "The good thing for me and many guys who share the tournaments with them is how differently they prepare the tournaments.

"How differently they do things with food, with practice, with everything. It's crazy.

"I think, okay, 'in one small way he's the best to do this side of the game', and then the other one is the best [at another aspect], so it's not my thing, who the GOAT is."

Novak Djokovic is the greatest male tennis player of all time, according to Marcos Baghdatis.

Djokovic is the most decorated player in the history of the men's game, boasting 24 grand slam triumphs over a magnificent career. Even with Djokovic turning 36 in 2023, the Serbian won three of the four majors on offer throughout the year.

Rival Rafael Nadal, who has the second most grand slam titles among male players with 22, recently conceded Djokovic is the greatest ever.

Baghdatis agrees with Nadal that Djokovic's numbers make him the best of all time, with the 2006 Australian Open runner-up telling Stats Perform: "I think that yes, Rafa is right. He's the GOAT [greatest of all time].

"I mean, statistically, he has the best history written in tennis. Of course, he has written more history than any other player.

"It's tough to say who is the best and who's not. I can say, the three players from Rafa, Roger [Federer] and Djokovic, I think he [Djokovic] is the most complete, if you understand what I mean.

"He's still there, he's still winning matches, still winning Grand Slams.

"So yeah, he's the best of all time because of the stats, but it's very hard to just get the other two out."

Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are often referred to as the 'big three', and Baghdatis believes the trio helped to move tennis forward. However, he also says Andy Murray deserves greater recognition despite failing to match his rivals' grand slam accomplishments.

"I cannot take Andy Murray out of there," Baghdatis said. "Because, you know, he was always taking them to their limits too.

"I think it's a package that these four people changed the sport for the better. Yeah, they helped each other improve themselves, but at the same time, they helped so many other players improve themselves and be better at what they do. So they left a legacy behind."

With Federer retired and Djokovic and Nadal in the latter stages of their careers, Carlos Alcaraz is seen by many as the next potential legend of the sport, having already claimed US Open and Wimbledon glory.

While Baghdatis feels Alcaraz is a great talent, he also believes other youngsters deserve credit, saying: "I'm not saying that Alcaraz cannot [become a legend], of course he has a shot at it. 

"He's young. I think he's great for tennis, he has great energy on the court, a great personality.

"I think maybe right now he's the best of his generation, let's say, but Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune are coming up, [Daniil] Medvedev is still there.

"But it's going to be very tough. I think he has a shot. It's going to be very, very tough to achieve what they [the big three] have achieved."

Novak Djokovic could still win three majors next year but Gilles Simon reminded tennis fans the world number one is not "eternal" as he heads towards the end of his career.

Djokovic triumphed in three of the four majors in 2023, with September's US Open success taking him level with Margaret Court's record 24 grand slam triumphs.

Defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final, Djokovic – aged 36 years and 111 days – became the oldest winner of the men's singles title at the US Open, as well as winning a trio of majors in a year for the fourth time.

That saw him surpass Roger Federer – who won three grand slams in a year on three occasions.

Simon, though, warned that Djokovic cannot play on forever.

He told Stats Perform: "I think he can win some [majors, but] I think he's getting to an age where it is going to become difficult.

"Most of the observers want to believe that a player is eternal but none are more eternal than the others.

"I think he can win a lot next year; will he win one, two or three? Next year he can do one more big year, but I also think that it will be his last."

The 36-year-old Djokovic acknowledged the retirement speculation after his US Open victory, asking how long he can continue.

Simon likened the twilight of Djokovic's career to fellow great Federer, whose playing days were curtailed by injury and fitness issues.

"At one point like every player there's going to be a break, that was the case for Roger Federer, remember when he won in Australia at the age of 37 playing incredible tennis," Simon added.

"At Wimbledon, he could have won because he lost against Novak Djokovic on match point. Time never had a grip on him, he had never been injured, he played really well, and then all of a sudden he disappears."

Another of tennis' 'Big Three', Rafael Nadal has not played since January 18 at the Australian Open – again owing to injury problems as years of toiling on the court takes its toll on even the best.

"We have Rafael Nadal who we hope to see again next year, who got us accustomed to more traditional injuries, longer injuries and with doubts," Simon continued.

"Once again he wins the Australian Open, he wins at Roland Garros even with his history with his foot, he again has a semi-final at Wimbledon.

"We say no about Novak because he is more careful, but we said the same about Federer, he expends less energy, he has a more fluid game and technique, he preserved himself from injury.

"I think next year will be very interesting because it’s a year where he can again win, where he still has an advantage [ahead of the rest] but we saw him lose against [Carlos] Alcaraz at Wimbledon.

"I thought he would have more advantage on grass because of the experience he has compared to others and his game works so well on grass – but he is beatable."

Age has shown no sign of slowing Djokovic down yet after he lifted the Paris Masters trophy for a seventh time on Sunday, defeating Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets.

That victory marked his second hard-court ATP-1000 title of 2023, Djokovic managing multiple Masters titles in a single season for the ninth time in his career. Only Federer, having won multiple such events in a year six times in his time, can get near to that feat.

Yet Simon suggested 30 major triumphs may be out of Djokovic's reach due to the emergence of Alcaraz, who won at Wimbledon this year, and a gruelling schedule.

"He's so strong he knows how to prepare himself, but he can't do a series of tournaments," said the Frenchman, who won 14 career titles and reached a high of number six in the ATP rankings.

"If everything was going well he would be playing every week like when he was 25 years old, so that is what is missing.

"He looks after himself, ultra-professional and very strong. The US Open was important for him, I see him maybe doing one or two next year, but I am waiting to see for the next few years after that.

"I can't see him reaching 30 [majors] for example when Carlos Alcaraz could win two or three a year – I wish it for him but I don't see it like that."

The Rolex Paris Masters became the first Masters 1000 to broadcast its qualifying matches on Twitch, live on Rivenzi's channel.

Novak Djokovic's status as the greatest of all time is unharmed despite his Wimbledon final defeat, says Marion Bartoli.

Djokovic's hopes of winning a fifth straight Wimbledon title and a joint-record eighth overall were ended by a superb performance from Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won in five sets to clinch a second grand slam despite only turning 20 in May.

Now 36, Djokovic has won 23 grand slams, more than any other male player, and though he missed the chance for a record-extending 24th at SW19 last weekend, Bartoli maintains his position as the greatest ever cannot be questioned. 

"If you have three or four more grand slams than anyone else, how can you even start the conversation?" she told Stats Perform. "The conversation is over.

"You can sort of go into more details with the surface but overall, especially when you look at the head-to-head and we know that Novak is leading the head-to-head against Roger [Federer] and against Rafa [Nadal].

"We know he's leading on the weeks at number one in the world. We know he has won all the grand slams three times and even more. You know, we know all those numbers. So then, what else do you need?"

For all of Djokovic's success, he has not always proved the most popular of players, in stark contrast to his 'Big Three' rivals Federer and Nadal.

Bartoli does not feel this plays into the conversation of who is the best ever and believes Djokovic can continue to challenge for grand slams in the coming years despite his advanced age. 

"If it's then how much you're liked by the crowd," Bartoli said. "That is something that is, you know, not a fact. That's purely an emotion, so you can't judge based on emotions.

"Even now, when you split the first three grand slams [of 2023] only with two players [Djokovic and Alcaraz], it's fair to say that the rest of the field is not quite at the same level as them, so Novak can sustain that level [at the top for longer]."

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are clearly ahead of the rest of the men's singles field, but Marion Bartoli believes both can be caught.

Alcaraz denied Djokovic a fifth straight Wimbledon title last weekend with a stunning five-set victory at SW19, to secure the 20-year-old Spaniard a second grand slam title.

As a pair, Alcaraz and Djokovic have now won the last five grand slams stretching back to last year's Wimbledon, and Bartoli feels they are far ahead of the chasing pack.

The former Wimbledon champion however suggests that gap could motivate others to work on their own game in order to catch up.

"Very much, when you look at the first three grand slams [of 2023], it's clear that there is Novak, Carlos and the rest and there is quite a gap between those two and the rest," she told Stats Perform.

"That's quite obvious with the results. That said, I think that's going to push them to sort of catch back just like Novak did with Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal].

"With [them] having more Grand Slams than him and wanting to be part of the conversation, that just pushed him to elevate his level.

"I think it's going to be the case on the ATP. I don't think the guys are going to look at Carlos and Novak saying 'Oh my god, they're just untouchable, and we're going to lose to them'.

"I think they're going to really try hard. Especially I can see [Holger] Rune, I can see [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, I can see [Daniil] Medvedev, all those and [Jannik] Sinner, being very eager and very hungry to just go and chase.

"I'm sure they can actually push them to work harder on their game to come up with something even better. So I don't see it as a runaway completely and there is no opposition.

"I think maybe it's going to take a little bit of time before they reach that level, but I just don't think it's going to be that easy in a way for Novak and Carlos to just win everything without having a say from the other players."

Bartoli, who won at SW19 in 2013 before retiring in 2018, believes Alcaraz has taken the best qualities of the 'Big Three' of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer and feels he is one of those spearheading a new era in tennis.

"In the eras before, when you look at Pete Sampras, and all those players, it was one way to play and then if you would take that play away it was a lot more difficult for them," she explained. 

"If you take Alcaraz for me, what is very interesting is he has almost the best of Novak, Roger and Rafa combined and that is new. I think it's very much sort of total tennis, when you feel there is just not one department that maybe is lacking a little bit.

"There is a lot of players from this or sort of the past generation that are not that complete, who are really going to suffer against those new kids like Alcaraz, Rune and Sinner who are coming in and just having nothing you feel that they could really do better.

"In that sense, I think that's going to be the new sort of tennis we will see for the next 10 to 20 years."

Andy Murray has "done it all" and should be acclaimed in the same vein as greats Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, according to Mark Philippoussis.

Friday marked the 10-year anniversary of Murray capturing the first of his two Wimbledon titles, with the Scot beating Djokovic in straight sets to win the 2013 final.

Murray's return of three major titles fails to compare to those of the 'Big Three', with Djokovic, Nadal and Federer boasting 23, 22 and 20 grand slam singles triumphs respectively.

However, Murray can also count two Olympic gold medals – won in 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro – among his achievements. 

While Nadal won gold in the singles tournament at the 2008 Games, the now-retired Federer only captured gold in the doubles event, alongside Stan Wawrinka in 2008.

Djokovic, meanwhile, took singles bronze in Beijing but is yet to win gold, and Philippoussis feels Murray's record across various tournaments means he should be considered among the greats.

Asked about Murray's accomplishments, two-time grand slam finalist Philippoussis told Stats Perform: "If you look at the numbers, as far as what he's won, he's actually one of the only guys to win everything. 

"He's won [a] grand slam, he's won the Davis Cup, he's won an Olympic gold. 

"He's done it all, and when you talk about the greats like Djokovic, Federer and Rafa, they haven't all won every single thing. 

"I think Roger has won the Davis Cup and he's won gold, but I think he won it in doubles, not singles, if I'm not mistaken. 

"He [Murray] is one of the only ones who have done that, and to win your home slam as a Brit at Wimbledon – the biggest one – the pressure must have been incredible, then to have done it at home with the Olympic gold as well."

Murray was unable to mark the anniversary of his maiden Wimbledon triumph with a win, as he slipped to a 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 4-6 defeat to fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a delayed second-round contest on Centre Court.

Mark Philippoussis still holds frustrations over his defeat to Roger Federer in the 2003 Wimbledon final.

Thursday, July 6 marks 20 years since Philippoussis went down 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to a then 21-year-old Federer at the All England Club.

That defeat saw Philippoussis' second chance at winning a major title pass by, and also marked the first grand slam success of Federer's incredible career.

Federer would win a further 19 major titles, including another seven at Wimbledon, before he retired last year.

Reflecting on that loss 20 years ago, Philippoussis told Stats Perform that seeing Federer go on to enjoy so much success did not ease the pain.

"No, no, I think a loss is a loss and unfortunately, no one really remembers the runners-up," he said.

"I'm always going to be proud of those couple of weeks, and Wimbledon was always my favourite event of the year and my dream as a kid. I came close but close wasn't good enough."

Philippoussis does have immense pride in his run to that final, though.

He added: "It was a very proud day. It was my dream, one of my dreams as a kid was hopefully one day, not only just play on that Centre Court, but play that last Sunday match and have that walk on that Centre Court.

"I was lucky enough to do that walk. Of course, going all the way and losing in the final hurts, I'm not going to lie, especially where I believe that I had some opportunities in that first set.

"It wasn't meant to be but I'm very proud of that."

Asked if he believed at that moment Federer would ultimately become one of the greatest players of all time, Philippoussis said: "He always had that talent. He was number three in the world at that stage. It's not like he came out of nowhere.

"He was someone that everyone was looking up to, that was capable of being a grand slam champion and number one in the world, but did I think he was going to go ahead and win over 20 grand slams?

"I thought that maybe Pete Sampras was going to hold on to that [record of] 14 for a little while, but just the way Federer dominated for years after that was amazing."

Federer's eight titles in the men's singles is a Wimbledon record. Sampras and Novak Djokovic, who is seeded second at the current tournament, are one behind him on seven.