The “greatest of all time” debate has been a prominent topic in tennis in recent years, especially as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have been part of one of the sport’s most iconic three-way rivalries. While the Serbian leads in statistical achievements, there are still compelling arguments in favor of Federer or Nadal. Gaston Gaudio, Argentina’s French Open champion, believes the Spaniard is the best.
Gaudio is one of the few Argentine players to have won a Grand Slam singles title, alongside Guillermo Vilas, Gabriela Sabatini, and Juan Martin Del Potro. El Gato won Roland Garros in 2004 after defeating Guillermo Coria in a thrilling final. That day remains historic for Argentine tennis, as the Philippe Chatrier Court saw an all-Argentine showdown, with legend Vilas presenting the trophies during the ceremony.
After retiring, he remained involved in tennis and served as Argentina’s Davis Cup captain from 2018 to 2021. In the 2019 edition, Argentina lost 2-1 to Spain, and Gaudio spoke highly of Nadal, who won his singles match and played a crucial role in the doubles victory alongside Marcel Granollers to advance to the next round.
After the series, Gaudio praised Nadal, ranking him above Federer and Djokovic as the greatest of all time: “Without taking anything away from the rest of the team, because Marcel Granollers played at a high level, Rafa controlled the doubles. Always Rafa. He’s the best we’ve ever seen. Just when you think he can’t do the impossible, he does it. He’s there in the good times and the bad… he’s always there.