Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal: Who Is Fourth-Best Tennis Player?

Why would anyone want the label “fourth best”?

Athletes strive to be number one. Three players have dominated men’s tennis in the last three years: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Now, there is a fourth player who has earned a spot with the top three and who might even be able to break the stranglehold they have on the game.

It is not difficult to project that Federer, Djokovic, or Nadal will end up in a big tournament final.

Since 2004, only three players other than Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have won a Grand Slam. Gaston Gaudio won the French in 2004; Juan Martin Del Potro won the US Open in 2009; Marat Safin won the Australian Open in 2005, and no one outside the Federer/Djokovic/Nadal triumvirate has won Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.

So who is the fourth best?

It’s surely not Andy Murray, who is officially ranked No. 4. He has made it to a Grand Slam final three times, but the results in the finals were pitiful. He lost in straight sets in every single grand slam final. Murray doesn’t have the mental toughness yet to win a grand slam.

Also, Murray doesn’t match up with any of the top three players.

Nadal is 12-4 against Murray, with Nadal winning the last four and only dropping one set.

Djokovic is 6-3 against Murray. They play a similar game, but Djokovic is better at it.

The only player Murray has a winning record against is Federer whose career is on the decline. Although Murray is 8-6 against Federer, he still hasn’t won a grand slam match against him.

Despite his No. 4 ranking, Murray is not the fourth best player. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the fourth best because he is one of a handful of players who can beat Federer, Djokovic and Nadal. Tsonga may also soon be moving from fourth to third best replacing Federer who is aging.

Don’t let Tsonga’s No. 16 rank fool you. He is a force to reckoned with. At 6’2” and 201 pounds, Tsonga is built like a truck. He has everything the ideal tennis player must possess. Tsonga hits the ball harder than anyone, has a huge serve, decent volleys, great movement, and is tremendously athletic.

At 26-years-old, Tsonga is in the mid-to-later part of his prime. He has been known to be inconsistent, but when he is on, he can beat anyone, including Djokovic and Nadal.

This year, Tsonga has had quality wins against David Ferrer, Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov and Rafael Nadal.

Let’s evaluate why Tsonga is the fourth best.

He can hit with anyone, and his backhand and forehand are equally dangerous. He has one of the best serves in the game, making it hard for a break. Finally, he isn’t afraid to go for a big shot to end a point.

Most of the players in the top 10 have some sort of weakness that will always prevent them from advancing. For example, David Ferrer is a human backboard but he is old and he can’t outlast younger opponents. Nor can he beat top players. Nicolas Almagro has no serve and his groundstrokes are inconsistent.

It is difficult to have much success against the big three, but Tsonga’s numbers are pretty good.

Tsonga has done very well against Djokovic with a 5-3 against him. Tsonga can beat Djokovic by relying on his heavy groundstrokes which trouble Djokovic, who is used to being in charge of a point and gets unnerved when he loses control of the pace.

Federer is 4-2 against Tsonga, but as previously stated, Federer is starting to lose his edge and Tsonga won his most recent match against him.

The player that gives Tsonga the most trouble is Rafael Nadal. He is 2-5 against Nadal, but Tsonga did win the last match. Tsonga’s head is his worst enemy when he plays against Nadal. He loses his composure when he gets into the long rallies that are Nadal’s bread and butter.   

In Grand Slam appearances, Tsonga made it to the finals in the 2008 Australian Open. He performed a lot better than Murray. Against Djokovic in the finals, Tsonga had a chance to win, but lost in 4 sets.

One may ask: What about Juan Martin Del Potro? Isn’t he the fourth best?

I think Del Potro can be great, but not yet. He matches up well with Nadal, but not with Djokovic. Del Potro hasn’t won a match against Djokovic, and they have played four times.

If Del Potro can stay healthy and improve his game, there is no question he can be a top-two player.

For now, Tsonga holds the spot of fourth best, and he has the best chance to beat one of three heavyweights who command this sport.