![]() ![]() After taking the last half of 2016 off to heal his injuries, Federer roared back unexpectedly to collect two more majors - including an Australian Open final in which he came back from a break down in the fifth set to stun Nadal.īy the end of that year, he had beaten Nadal four straight times, all on hard courts, closing the head-to-head gap to 23-15 in Nadal’s favor. In some ways, it would have been less risky from a legacy standpoint for Federer to call it a career at the end of 2017. But if Nadal gets his 19th here at Federer’s favorite major, well, all bets are off. If Federer can somehow get past Nadal and then Djokovic in the final – he’s never before beaten both of them to win a Grand Slam – the math starts working significantly in his favor given Nadal’s age (33) and the fact that his creaky knees haven’t held up well on the hard courts of late. THE NEXT ONE? Coco Gauff says goal is to be the 'greatest' ever following Wimbledon run And though he maintains excellent form on every surface at 37, it’s undeniable that Wimbledon’s grass affords Federer the best chance to add to his total. ![]() Though Federer has some significant records that the other two probably won’t touch, it will be difficult for him to maintain his consensus as the GOAT if he ultimately slips to third in the Slam count. ![]() Though there’s more to the conversation than just total Grand Slams, here’s where we stand today: Federer 20, Nadal 18 and Novak Djokovic looming with 15. But Friday’s semifinal meeting, the first at Wimbledon since Nadal outlasted Federer after a 4-hour, 48-minute final in 2008, feels unusually significant in the ongoing debate over who will end their career as the greatest of all time. ![]()
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