Djokovic Wins 23rd Grand Slam: How Does He Compare to Nadal, Federer?

Djokovic Wins 23rd Grand Slam: How Does He Compare to Nadal, Federer?

Edwin Kiplagat
updated at June 12, 2023 at 9:34 AM
  • Novak Djokovic cemented his status as one of the tennis greats after winning the 2023 French Open
  • The Serb beat Casper Ruud in the final to seal his 23rd Grand Slam title - more than any other male player
  • Sports Brief looks at the numbers behind his incredible career and how he compares to other greats

It was a magical day for Novak Djokovic, who sealed a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title after beating Casper Ruud in the French Open final.

The impressive victory saw the Serb become the outright leader in total Grand Slams, passing Rafael Nadal, who has 22.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Margaret Court, 2023 French Open, Roland Garros
Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have dominated male tennis this century. Photos by Clive Brunskill.
Source: Getty Images

The 36-year-old was sloppy in the opening stages of the contest against a hungry Ruud. However, his incredible first-set tie-break set up an impressive finish for a 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, 7-5 triumph.

The victory saw Djokovic become the first man to win all four majors at least three times, per the BBC.

The Serb now has the same number of Grand Slams as Serena Williams. Only the legendary Margaret Court (24) has more majors than him.

Many fans have declared Djokovic the greatest male tennis player of the time, ahead of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, but how do their numbers compare?

Comparing Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer

Djokovic has now won $170 million in career prize money after taking home $2.5 million in Paris on Sunday, June 12. Nadal has won $135 million, while Federer has won $131 million. Serena Williams is slightly behind after winning $95 million.

The Serb has also made a ton of money off the court as well. He's made $340 million from endorsements, appearances, licensing, and memorabilia income.

Federer earned almost a billion off the court, making him the king in that area. Nadal has made $390 million off the court.

Here's how their numbers compare, per Forbes.

Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer

Career on-court earnings

$170 million

$135 million

$131 million

Carer off-court earnings

$340 million

$390 million

$990 million

Total earnings

$519 million

$525

$1.1 billion

Grand Slam singles titles

23

22

20

ATP singles titles

94

92

103

Weeks at No. 1

387

209

310

Match-winning percentage

83.4%

82.9%

82%

Record against Nadal

30-29

16-24

Record against Federer

27-23

24-16

Record against Djokovic

29-30

23-27

Djokovic will have the chance to tie Court's 24 Grand Slams at Wimbledon next month, a place where he's won seven times.

It is tough to make a case against him, after having won six of the last eight major tournaments.

Djokovic said he would not call himself the greatest of all time and preferred leaving that discussion to others.

"I have, of course, huge faith and confidence and belief in myself and for everything that I am and who I am and what I am capable of doing... I feel incredibly proud, fulfilled. Of course, the journey is still not over. I feel, if I'm winning slams, why even think about ending the career that already has been going on for 20 years?" he said, via Sky Sports.

Player earnings at Roland Garros

Sports Brief previously looked at what players earn at Roland Garros per round of the competition.

The prize money for the 2023 French Open is 49.6 million euros ($54.6 million), up 12.3% from 2022.

In singles, the champion pocketed $2,478,426, while players who made the first round got $74,352.

Authors
Edwin Kiplagat photo
Edwin Kiplagat
Edwin Kiplagat has five years of experience in journalism working as a Sports Editor at Africa Insight Communications and ESPN. Edwin Kiplagat is a Bachelor's Degree holder in journalism from the Multimedia University of Kenya.