Andy Murray Named Which of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic He Didn't Mind Playing

She reported from prestigious sporting venues such as Wembley and Villa Park and achieved a first in her dissertation analysing the construction of xenophobic discourse by the British media in international football.

While at university, Rosie was published by BirminghamLive for her piece exploring matchday transport difficulties for Aston Villa supporters, drawing on her experience as a Villa fan. Rosie is also passionate about Formula 1 and has written for The Sport Review where she ranked drivers and analysed key moments and news.

She is interested in athlete personalities and how they form connections with fans, focusing on the narratives behind their performances. Sign in to your GiveMeSport account Who could ever forget the 'Big Four' that dominated tennis for decades? Before Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner entered the scene with their iconic matches, there was the indomitable quartet of Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer.

Their might transcended tennis and transformed them into household names, regardless of whether people were tennis fans or not.

From the 2003 Australian Open to the 2026 French Open, the four have won a combined total of 69 Grand Slam titles out of 93.

Djokovic leads the way with a record 24 titles, including a triple Career Grand Slam. Nadal is close behind with 22, including a double Career Grand Slam and a record 14 French Open titles, notably favouring the clay courts of Roland Garros, which earned him the nickname 'The King of Clay.'

Federer has 20 Grand Slam wins, including a record eight men's singles Wimbledon titles and holds the record for winning five consecutive titles in two different tournaments, winning from 2003-2007 at Wimbledon and 2004-2008 at the US Open.

Murray's Grand Slam victories pale in comparison to the other three, who are acclaimed as the greatest tennis players ever. The Scot only won three Slams in his career, the 2012 US Open, the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2016 Wimbledon Championships.

However, he is more than deserving of his spot alongside the three, with more victories against them than anyone in history. He defeated Federer to take a gold medal on home soil at the 2012 London Olympics and defeated Djokovic for both his US Open victory, where he became the first British major singles champion since Virginia Wade in 1977, and his 2013 Wimbledon victory, becoming the first Brit to take the win since Fred Perry in 1936.

He also defended his gold medal in Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics to become the only player, male or female, to win two Olympic gold medals in singles.

Now, Murray has had his say on which of his fellow 'Big Four' members he felt the most comfortable playing against.

Speaking on former cricketer Kevin Pietersen's YouTube channel, the Glaswegian highlighted Federer as the opponent he felt more at ease sharing a court with.

Though he has an 11-14 record against the Swiss powerhouse, Murray enjoyed clashes with him more than his battles with Nadal and Djokovic.

Speaking on The Switch, he said: "He [Federer] was the guy that was comfortably number one in the world at the time. The first time [I played him] was in 2005.

"I played against him in the final of a tournament in Bangkok. It was my first final on the main tour. I actually played a good match [but] I lost.

Unsurprisingly, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic all make the list, but who else joins them?

"I played against him 25 times in total. I've got 11 wins against him and I didn't mind playing him as much as some of the others."

He has the same number of wins against Federer as he does against Djokovic, though, the Serb has defeated him 25 times and eight times in Slams. They are one of two male pairs to have contended the finals of each of the four Grand Slams, with Djokovic and Nadal being the other.

Murray admitted that before joining the ATP Tour, he already admired Federer, stating: "I loved watching [Federer]. I had an injury when I was 16 where I couldn't play for like six months and I used to sit and take notes on him and watch a lot of the top players.

"It helped me because when I then went on the tour, I felt like I'd seen so much of them. I actually had a plan at how I'd go about playing against them."

While the Scotsman has a lot of praise for Federer, it was Nadal who famously once said: "In terms of level of tennis, in terms of mentality, winning spirit, Andy was the only one at the level of myself, Roger [Federer] and Novak [Djokovic]."

The Spaniard may have beaten Murray on 17 occasions, with the Brit only felling the icon seven times, but he showed considerable strength, resilience, and fortitude. Despite ultimately losing in their five-set thriller at the 2011 Australian Open, Murray is remembered for his tenacity and ability to handle the intense playing style of Nadal.

The ultimate debate about the best tennis player ever is multi-faceted and contentious, but Murray deserves to be remembered and respected for his determination and strong work ethic.

The top three earners have banked an absolute fortune...

Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic will be immortalised in the sport's history, but don't forget about Murray the next time that you are ranking tennis players, despite the plaudits the other three deservedly receive.