When Does A G.O.A.T. Call It Quits?

With the Australian Open at a close, many tennis fans and analysts continue to ask the question of, how much longer will the big three stick around?

Rafael Nadal shows his delight as he holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup (Hamish Blair/AP)(AP)

Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer have all reached the top of the tennis world through significantly differing paths. However, each of them has shown dominance on different surfaces. Nadal with clay, Federer on grass, and Novak on hard court.

Before achieving his historic 21st Grand Slam title at the 2022 AO, Nadal had mentioned several times how important his long term health was versus winning the most grand slams. During a press conference at the AO, Nadal told reporters, “Being healthy means more to me than my good results in Melbourne, and if you tell me what I am more pleased about, is about be healthy enough to be here.” I have to ponder if Nadal will retire this year after the French Open, arguably still at the top of his game. Nadal can be compared to another GOAT, Tom Brady.

Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Recently, Tom Brady made the decision to step away from the game of football. The news had taken the sports world by surprise, mainly because Tom seemed to be perfectly healthy and ready to make another run for the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His decision to retire likely came as a result of missed time with his family. After the release of his decision to retire, Brady wrote on Social Media, “I have always believed the sport of football is an 'all-in' proposition -- if a 100% competitive commitment isn't there, you won't succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game.” Rumors have been speculating that Nadal may follow a similar path as Brady in regard to retirement. The question remains should Nadal retire on his own terms as Brady has done or provide the fans with the fanfare, farewell tour the fans want.