Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer? It’s the age-old tennis debate.

No tennis fan has the same answer, with each of the ‘Big Three’ boasting their own set of loyal supporters.

It’s the same for the players, too. For those lucky enough to have shared a court with all three, the question of who’s the greatest is still one that often splits opinion.

For Diego Schwartzman though, the answer is simple… it’s Nadal.

The former French Open semi-finalist opened up about his experiences playing against the trio, telling ESPN: “I think Rafa, of the three, is the one who commands the most respect when you enter the court. It’s like you enter the court a little more defeated. “

Schwartzman has beaten Nadal in the past, triumphing 6-2 7-5 in the quarter-final of the 2020 Rome Masters.

Commenting after his surprise win over the King of Clay five years ago, Schwartzman dubbed it his best performance ever. He said: “It was crazy. Tennis is crazy. Our performance is always crazy. The past three weeks were really bad for me,” Schwartzman said on court after his victory.

“Today I played my best tennis. Very similar to Roland Garros against Rafa three years ago and I’m very happy. I was not thinking to beat him really because I was not playing good [lately]. But today I did my best and I’m very happy.”

However, prior to that victory, the Argentine had played Nadal on eight different occasions, losing to him every single time.

Schwartzman, like Nadal, recently made the decision to hang up his racket, retiring at his home tournament in Argentina.

In a statement, the 32-year-old wrote: “I want my last tournaments to be my own decision.

“Let this 2024 be that way, hopefully getting the opportunity to compete in the tournaments I enjoy the most. And in 2025, in Argentina, to be able to have my final moment, the most beautiful closure I can imagine.”

He continued: “But at the end of 2022, I had a bad run in indoor tournaments, and afterwards I noticed that I wasn’t nervous the days before the tournaments. I was as if nothing had happened. 20 minutes before the matches my adrenaline would rise and it made me feel bad.

“Something that had been going well for me years ago became anxiety that made me lose control and I didn’t like it anymore. I played badly, I didn’t feel like training and I wasn’t well, until I realised that I didn’t want to anymore.”

No doubt to the delight of Schwartzman, Nadal was among those from the world of tennis to congratulate him on his career, posting on X: “Congratulations @dieschwartzman on your great career!”

“You’ve been a great example of fighting and overcoming. I’m glad we’ve shared so many moments on the Tour. Enjoy your next steps!”