You perhaps thought that tennis was an individual sport featuring head-to-head matches. But the most gripping theater in the sport—or in all sports, we would submit—is a race among three men. The derby pitting Roger Federer (20), Rafael Nadal (18) and Novak Djokovic (16) against each other to see who can win the most major singles titles is also a de facto battle for the title of men's tennis GOAT.
That the three most accomplished male players of all time compete contemporaneously means that we have the good fortune to regularly witness their greatness. It also means that every major now comes freighted with historic importance.