Compared: Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic past the age of 35

With the last of the ‘Big Three’ Novak Djokovic losing three matches in a row, more and more talk is on when the all-time great will hang up the racket.

Even for a player at the level of Djokovic, time is the opponent that gets us all with the Serbian facing a question that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal faced before him – when to give it up?

Djokovic spoke of making a “plan”after his Indian Wells defeat but how does his record past the age of 35 compare to Nadal’s and Federer’s?

For this comparison, we have started from the year each player turned 35 so while they would have been 34 at the start of the year, by August, all three would have been closer to 40 than 30.

Roger Federer

The oldest of the trio, Federer, began his ATP career in July 1998 at the Swiss Open and would go on to play until the 2022 Laver Cup, an astonishing 24 years at the top of tennis.

While the majority of Federer’s titles came in the first half of his career, he still added plenty of trophies once he passed the age of 35.

After an injury-curtailed 2016, Federer came back in 2017 with seven titles, including two Grand Slams, and ended the year second in the rankings.

The following season, he won his 20th and final Slam at the Australian Open and finished the year as No.3 but struggled with injuries in 2021, retiring after the Wimbledon championships.

Six seasons
15 titles including three Grand Slams
192 of 229 matches won (84%)
Average end of year ranking – No.6

Rafa Nadel

Of the three, Nadal had the shortest career post-35 as persistent injuries kept him from the court.

In 2021, Nadal played just 29 times, ending the year No.6 in the rankings with two titles.

The following year, he won the Australian Open to surpass Feder and Djokovic in the all-time Grand Slams record. Later that same year, Nadal won his 14th and final French Open with victory over Casper Ruud.

But that would prove to be the final success of his glittering career as an injury to the iliopsoas muscle in his hip restricted him to just four matches in 2023.

Nadal fell out of the top 10 for the first time since 2004 and returned in 2024 for the final 20 matches of his career.

The 22-Grand Slam winner made a teary goodbye to tennis at the Davis Cup, ending the year ranked No.154 having been 672 in January.

Four seasons
Six titles including two Grand Slams.
76 wins of 100 matches (76%)
Average end of year ranking – No.207

Novak Djokovic

Up until now, Djokovic has been making the most of his final years in the sport – adding four Slams and an Olympics to his record since turning 35.

He hit that age during the 2022 season, a year where he won Wimbledon to move onto 21 Slams, and he returned to No.1 after three Grand Slams in 2023.

In 2024, Djokovic won just one title – albeit it was his coveted Olympic medal – with zero Slams and ended the year No. 7 in the rankings, his lowest spot since 2017.

The Serbian has begun 2025 in poor fashion, losing all three of his matches so far, raising questions about his future in the sport.

Fourth season in progress
13 titles including four Grand Slams
135 wins of 161 matches (84%)
Average end of year ranking – No.8

More on Novak Djokovic from Tennis365

The last time Novak Djokovic lost 3 consecutive ATP Tour matches

Novak Djokovic makes wanted – and unwanted – history in shock Indian Wells defeat

Andy Murray

A bonus entry for all you Andy Murray fans with the Briton playing three seasons at the age of 35 and up.

The first was in 2022 when, three years on from a teary Australian Open press conference hinting he may retire, the half-man, half-metal Murray played 45 times, winning 26 times.

There was no titles that year but the two-time Wimbledon champion finished the season No. 49 in the rankings, his highest position since 2017.

He improved on that record in 2023, moving up to No. 42, but ended the year with more losses than wins.

Murray’s final season came in 2024 with just 18 games as persistent injuries finally forced him into retirement.

Three seasons
0 titles
48 wins of 96 matches (50%)
Average end of year ranking – No.84

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