Left field

Nadal success sparks new GOAT debate

Rafael Nadal ticked off another box when he joined an exclusive group of men to win a career grand slam and in doing so re-ignited the debate about whether he or Roger Federer is the better player.

It also strengthens Nadal’s case in the ongoing discussion around the GOAT, or Greatest Of All Time. 

Statistics show that Federer, with 16 grand slam titles and kit bag full of records, is still the greatest player to swing a racket but with the clock ticking ever louder on his career his haul now looks within reach of the 24-year-old Spaniard.

Nadal’s U.S. Open triumph on Monday against a gallant Novak Djokovic proved beyond doubt that his ferocious baseline game translates on any surface.