The tennis world has long been embroiled in a debate over who is the superior player among Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic has managed to establish himself as the undisputed GOAT in terms of statistics – boasting 24 Grand Slam titles, multiple victories at every Masters 1000 tournament, and an impressive 428 weeks at No. 1 in the world.

However, when it comes to on-court prowess, some of the Big Three’s former competitors have their own views. According to ex-world No. 15 Juan Ignacio Chela, one player emerged as the greatest due to his “talent and class.”

Chela didn’t fare well against any of the three former world No. 1s, ending with a 0-2 record against Djokovic, 0-6 against Federer, and 1-4 against Nadal. His only victory came at the 2004 Cincinnati Open, where he clinched the match in a final set tiebreak.

Despite all three dominating the sport for years, winning major titles and making life difficult for other players, the Argentine believed Federer was the hardest to defeat.

“Roger’s performance was impressive. For me… the thing is that they surpassed him in numbers, but for me, he’s the greatest,” he shared with La Nacion.

“On top of that, I experienced it firsthand: I’d go into the game and… I mean, I beat Rafa once, [Andy] Murray too, but not Nole, but I had match point. I only won a set against Roger once in Miami, but I couldn’t stay on the court.

“I was a player who needed rhythm, I needed to get to the sixth or eighth ball, but I couldn’t do it with Roger. He’d take me off the baseline, he’d make a great serve, he’d hit a drop shot, he’d come at me on a return, or he’d take time with his forehand and then he’d take me off the court.

“Besides, if you ask me to tell ChatGPT to make me the ideal tennis player, I think it makes Roger. Then the others (Djokovic and Nadal) surpassed him in numbers, with other characteristics, but I think no one else has Federer’s ease, talent and class.”

Nevertheless, the statistics speak for themselves, and Chela recognized that Djokovic’s magnificence couldn’t be questioned. The six-time tour title winner continued: “Yeah, he’s the greatest. In numbers… It’s like they’re three superheroes with different powers.

“In my time, [Pete] Sampras had won 14 Grand Slams, and it seemed impossible for anyone to catch him. And other legends had, I don’t know, eight, nine, six, seven Grand Slams. These guys passed 20. It’s crazy.”

Chela advanced to three Grand Slam quarterfinals, twice at the French Open in 2004 and 2011, and once at the US Open in 2007. He never encountered Federer, Nadal or Djokovic at the Majors, but they had sufficient clashes at Masters 1000 tournaments and in championship matches.