Former world No. 4 Tim Henman believes there is a “straightforward” answer to the debate over the greatest male tennis player of all time.

The Big Three—Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer—are widely considered the best players in men’s tennis history. Djokovic leads the Grand Slam race with a record 24 singles titles, followed by Nadal with 22 and Federer with 20.

Federer retired at the 2022 Laver Cup, while Nadal ended his career at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. Meanwhile, Djokovic remains active at the highest level and is currently ranked seventh in the world. The 37-year-old Serbian secured Olympic gold in Paris last August and was also a runner-up at Wimbledon last year.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Henman asserted that Djokovic stands alone as the ‘GOAT’ due to his unparalleled records.

“For me, it’s fairly straightforward that Djokovic is the greatest male player of all time,” said the six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist.

“How do you judge that? It comes down to numbers—who has won the most Grand Slams, spent the most weeks at No. 1, and secured the most Masters 1000 titles. And that’s Djokovic. So for me, it’s a pretty straightforward conversation.”

Henman also addressed the harsh reaction Djokovic received from the Rod Laver Arena crowd when he retired due to a hamstring injury in his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev.

“I think they got it completely wrong,” Henman told Tennis365.

“For someone chasing an 11th Australian Open title and a record-extending 25th Slam, it’s clear he was in bad shape if he pulled out after a set.

“For him to be booed in that moment was pretty indefensible. He absolutely didn’t deserve that in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam.”

Henman acknowledged that Djokovic has faced criticism throughout his career but believes his achievements speak for themselves.

“I’m not on social media, but from what I hear, the reaction around him and his fans is chaotic. Maybe he has done things that have attracted negativity.

“But if you look deeper, I think he has always craved the affection that Federer and Nadal received. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know—that’s just my opinion.

“Some people don’t like his behavior at times, but when you look at his accomplishments, there’s no debate. He has 24 Slams, the most weeks at No. 1, and the most Masters 1000 titles—he’s got it all.”