Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer dominated tennis for a generation.
The trio, best known as the ‘big three’, struck fear into the hearts of their opponents from the early 2000s to the early 2020s.
Together, they won 66 Grand Slam titles and held the number-one ranking for 947 weeks.
But which of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer was the toughest to play against?
Who is the greatest male tennis player of all time?
During a recent interview, former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis answered that very question.
Marcos Baghdatis says Novak Djokovic was his toughest opponent
Speaking to Tennis365, Baghdatis picked his toughest-ever opponent.
“I would pick Novak Djokovic, just because of the reason that I never beat him,” he said.
Marcos Baghdatis’ H2H record vs Novak Djokovic (0-8)
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2015 Indian Wells – R64 | Novak Djokovic | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2012 Miami Open – R64 | Novak Djokovic | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2011 Swiss Indoors – QF | Novak Djokovic | Marcos Baghdatis | 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2011 Wimbledon – R32 | Novak Djokovic | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2010 Dubai – SF | Novak Djokovic | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2009 Australian Open – R16 | Novak Djokovic | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-1, 7-6, 6-7, 6-2 |
| 2007 Wimbledon – QF | Novak Djokovic | Marcos Baghdatis | 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 4-6, 7-5 |
| 2007 Italian Open – R16 | Novak Djokovic | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-2, 7-5 |
“But it’s very hard to pick. I think, whenever I played Novak, [they were] pretty close matches.
“That’s my thinking. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I remember.
Avoid saying the same tennis player as me quiz
“But I think I once got a nice beating out of him, and it was in Indian Wells.
“It was a 6-1, 6-2. I came off the court, and I felt the guy gave me a lesson.
“I never felt like that with another player.”
Baghdatis felt his matches against Nadal and Federer were more competitive.
“I never felt like that with Roger or with Rafa, even when I was younger, and I played Roger, I always felt like, ‘Next time I can beat him’. I always felt that,” he said.
Marcos Baghdatis’ H2H record vs Rafael Nadal (1-9)
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2017 Australian Open – R64 | Rafael Nadal | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2015 Stuttgart – R16 | Rafael Nadal | Marcos Baghdatis | 7-6, 6-7, 6-2 |
| 2011 Madrid Open – R32 | Rafael Nadal | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2010 Cincinnati Open – QF | Marcos Baghdatis | Rafael Nadal | 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 |
| 2009 China Open – R32 | Rafael Nadal | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 2007 Paris Masters – SF | Rafael Nadal | Marcos Baghdatis | 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2007 Madrid Open – R32 | Rafael Nadal | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2007 Dubai – R32 | Rafael Nadal | Marcos Baghdatis | 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2006 Wimbledon – SF | Rafael Nadal | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-1, 7-5, 6-3 |
| 2006 Indian Wells – QF | Rafael Nadal | Marcos Baghdatis | 7-5, 6-0 |
Marcos Baghdatis’ H2H record vs Roger Federer (1-7)
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2010 Cincinnati Open – SF | Roger Federer | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2010 Indian Wells – R32 | Marcos Baghdatis | Roger Federer | 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 |
| 2008 Halle Open – QF | Roger Federer | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2007 Cincinnati Open – R16 | Roger Federer | Marcos Baghdatis | 7-6, 7-5 |
| 2006 Australian Open – F | Roger Federer | Marcos Baghdatis | 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 |
| 2006 Qatar Open – QF | Roger Federer | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2005 Australian Open – R16 | Roger Federer | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 |
| 2004 US Open – R64 | Roger Federer | Marcos Baghdatis | 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 6-1 |
“But with Novak it was… I didn’t have that feeling, especially after that match.”
Playing 26 matches against members of the ‘big three’, Baghdatis won just two, as he struggled against the legendary trio.
However, that didn’t stop him from becoming the greatest player in the history of his country…
How many titles did Marcos Baghdatis win in his ATP career?
The Cypriot star won four titles during his career.
- 2006 China Open – Beat Mario Ancic in F
- 2007 Zagreb Indoors – Beat Ivan Ljubicic in F
- 2009 Stockholm Open – Beat Olivier Rochus in F
- 2010 Sydney International – Beat Richard Gasquet in F
He also reached a career-high ranking of eighth in the world and qualified for a Grand Slam final, losing out to Federer at the Australian Open in 2006.
To this day, Baghdatis remains the best player in Cypriot tennis history, a title that he is unlikely to drop anytime soon.
There is currently just one Cypriot player ranked inside the ATP top 1000, with 26-year-old Menelaos Efstathiou residing at 776th position.
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