Tennis
Best ATP Masters 1000 Player: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer Ranked
Grand Slam titles remain the most sought-after prize in men’s tennis, but sitting just below them in the pecking order are the Masters 1000 events. However, that doesn’t mean the quality of such tournaments should be diminished. Masters events are alluring and they attract elite fields. Players who have enjoyed sustained success in these tournaments have consistently demonstrated exceptional performance levels across various surfaces, endearing themselves to the fans. This guide will predominantly concentrate on the traditional ‘Big Three’ — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer.
Novak Djokovic/ Getty Images
Who is the best ATP Masters 1000 player? SportsBoom has rummaged through the tennis Masters series records of the leading players, and we have applied our rigorous methodology to reach a well-rounded conclusion.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Greatest Masters 1000 Players
Evaluating the greatest Masters 1000 players wasn’t done in a vacuum. We blended a statistical analysis of career Masters 1000 titles won with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking. This formed the ‘SB Market Index’, a custom-built rating system, where the results were devoid of single-source opinions, ensuring transparency.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis from the top 10 tennis and sports media sources measures how prominently each player is featured in discussions of the “greatest ATP Masters 1000 players of all time”.
| Source | Djokovic | Nadal | Federer | Murray | Others |
| ATP Tour Official Site – “Masters 1000 Title Leaders” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennis.com – “Ranking the Masters 1000 GOATs” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wikipedia – ATP Masters 1000 Records (Career Golden Masters) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UbiTennis – “Who dominated the Fifth Slams’?” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bleacher Report – “Ranking the Best Masters Players” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| EssentiallySports – “Djokovic’s Unmatched Masters Feat” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Last Word on Sports – “Masters 1000 All-Time Greats” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tennishead – “The Big Three’s Masters Dominance” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reddit r/tennis – Fan Polls on “Best Masters Player” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Perfect Tennis – “Analyzing Masters 1000 success” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 10 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
SB Score
| Player | Total ATP Masters 1000 Titles | SB Score |
| Novak Djokovic | 40 | 1.000 |
| Rafael Nadal | 36 | 0.900 |
| Roger Federer | 28 | 0.700 |
| Andre Agassi | 17 | 0.425 |
| Andy Murray | 14 | 0.350 |
This score is calculated based on the total number of ATP Masters 1000 titles won (100% weightage). The raw stats are used to calculate the final SB Score.
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | 1.000 | 10 | 8.200 |
| 2 | Rafael Nadal | 0.900 | 8 | 6.580 |
| 3 | Roger Federer | 0.700 | 8 | 6.540 |
| 4 | Andre Agassi | 0.425 | 3 | 2.485 |
| 5 | Andy Murray | 0.350 | 2 | 1.670 |
Novak Djokovic: The Undisputed Master
If spending the most number of weeks at number one or trousering 24 Grand Slam titles wasn’t enough, Novak Djokovic’s 40 Masters titles further underlined his dominance in men’s tennis.
With over 400 Masters 1000 series match wins to his name, Djokovic is the only player to have completed the full set of lifting all nine Masters tournaments known as the Career Golden Masters. He is constantly discussed as the best player of all time, and his supreme talent on all surfaces was matched by his incredible mental resilience. Driven by his perfect ‘Industry Insight’ score and leading ‘SB Score’, the Serbian maestro topped our ‘SB Market Index’.
The Kings of Surface: Nadal and Federer
As the undisputed king of clay, Rafael Nadal’s clay Masters record was formidable. For example, Nadal won more matches at the Monte Carlo Masters (73) than any other Masters 1000 event, and at the peak of his powers, he was almost untouchable on clay.
On the red dirt, Nadal, who was one of the best left-handed tennis players ever, often beat his opponents before stepping onto the court with his elaborate warm-up in the tunnel, and he had an aura of invincibility. An excellent ‘SB Score’ coupled with ‘Industry Insights’ saw him rank highly.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer’s hard court Masters trophy haul was exceptional. A dominant force in the mid-2000s, the Swiss hard court king wound up with 28 Masters titles, and he thrived on quick surfaces. He tied Nadal for expert perception, emphasising the impact he had on Masters events.
The Trailblazers: Agassi and Murray
Widely regarded as one of the best American tennis players ever, Andre Agassi’s Masters record was astonishing. He won 209 of his 282 career Masters matches, picking up 17 titles along the way. He was a trailblazer, inspiring the future generation with his brilliant returning game.
Andy Murray’s 14 Masters 1000 wins proved that he could live with the “Big Three”, and he was undoubtedly one of the best British male tennis players of all time. He scaled the heights of the game, and had injuries not disrupted his career, then perhaps he would have collected a few more titles, but he made the cut on our list.
Conclusion on Masters 1000 Greatness
In summary, conversations surrounding the greatest tennis rivalries are fascinating, as is comparing the individual Masters records of Djokovic vs Nadal and Federer. However, based on our in-depth model results, Djokovic won the most ATP Masters 1000 titles and garnered the most praise from media experts, meaning he outshone his peers.
Djokovic’s title count was staggering, but the other legends mentioned should be celebrated for their consistency and longevity. The Masters 1000 arena was a key yardstick of their respective successes, and whether it was on clay or hard, the players represented adapted their styles to etch themselves in tennis folklore.
Quite simply, Masters 1000 events contribute a lot to the narrative of elite men’s tennis, and they should never be understated.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.