Federer, Nadal & Djokovic: Who Made a Pro Doubt His Game?

The debate over which member of tennis’ ‘Big Three’ deserves to be crowned the greatest of all time shows no signs of ever being resolved. Eras blur, numbers pile up, and loyalties harden. But for former pro Steve Darcis, there is no debate. The Belgian, forever etched in Wimbledon folklore after his shock victory over Rafael Nadal in 2013, had the rare distinction of facing the Spaniard, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic when each of them was operating at the peak of their powers.

Few players can boast of having crossed the net among the three in their prime. Even fewer can articulate the difference. Each match offered Darcis an eye-opening, and often brutal, education in elite greatness, exposing the subtle and not-so-subtle traits that made the trio so dominant for so long. However, among those encounters, one stood out. One left Darcis feeling not only outmatched, but completely helpless. “For me, the best, by far, is Roger. He killed me,” the 41-year-old said exclusively to express sport.

“I played against Rafa… he usually beats you, but even if you lose 6-2, 6-2, there are (a lot of) comebacks. You have the feeling that you probably can’t win, but that you are not that far away (from winning).

“The same goes for Djokovic,” he added. “I played against him several times, I could have won sets, once I served during the set. I had some chances. Even if you lose in the end, you feel like you have played tennis, only he is better than you. He is more solid, mentally stronger. But you have the feeling that you are not that far away.

“But with Roger, if it’s a good day, you feel like you can’t play tennis. After 30 minutes it’s already 6-1, 3-0. It’s very hard.”

Darcis is quick to acknowledge that, when measured exclusively in silver, it is difficult to argue against Djokovic’s claim to the biggest crown of all time. The numbers, he admits, tell a compelling story. But in his opinion, the hierarchy remains unchanged and Federer is still at the top.

“If you have to pick someone (as the greatest of all time), you have to read the statistics. And there is only one guy who is winning all the statistics. This is Djokovic. But if you ask me who is the best player in a match, I think it is Federer.”

Over the course of a 17-year professional career, Darcis established a strong presence on the ATP Tour, winning two titles and helping Belgium reach two Davis Cup finals. But his legacy is defined less by longevity than by an extraordinary afternoon at the All England Club in 2013.

Darcis entered court one as a virtual unknown, ranked 130 places below Nadal. The Spaniard arrived as one of the tournament’s top contenders, fresh off another win at the French Open and expected to make it through the early rounds.

Instead, Darcis delivered one of the biggest upsets SW19 has ever witnessed, dismantling his opponent in straight sets. It was Nadal’s first defeat in the first round of a Grand Slam, and a result that ensured that Steve Darcis’ name would never be forgotten.

“I was thinking the same thing as everyone else (when the draw was made),” Darcis admitted. “It’s a bad draw, I won’t be here long. I’ll be home soon.

“But then I thought, I’m playing well, let’s try it and play my game, not his. I wanted to risk a little more, go for it, because if you want to play the move against Rafa you know you have no chance. I really tried to push myself to be a little more aggressive.”

Darcis sealed the biggest victory of his career with a 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory. For a brief moment, it was pure euphoria: the shock of Wimbledon, Nadal’s fall, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. But the euphoria barely lasted.

Halfway through the game something had already gone wrong. A sharp pain shot through Darcis’s shoulder and grew worse as the fight progressed. When he left the court, adrenaline was the only thing keeping his arm moving.

The upset that stunned the tennis world came at a devastating personal cost. In knocking down Nadal, Darcis had torn a ligament in his shoulder. The damage forced him to withdraw from the tournament immediately and would ultimately sideline him for an entire year, requiring surgery and a long, grueling recovery.

“I had very bad pain in my shoulder during the game. I had this pain for two games and then it was over. But about 10 minutes after the game I couldn’t lift my shoulder,” he recalled. “After the game I knew I was very bad, I couldn’t move my arm… I had a torn ligament, I had to have surgery and I couldn’t play for a year.

“It was one of the best victories of my life, but it started one of the worst years… I tried everything to keep playing, injection, have a little chance, but when my coach threw me the first ball of practice two days later I couldn’t hit the ball. It was bad. Mentally, I felt very bad.”

A victory that should have opened all doors, rather than closing them all, leaving Darcis with immortality in Wimbledon folklore and the lonely cost of what it took to get there.