Which Big-3 legend was the hardest to face? Diego Schwartzman settles the debate

Diego Schwartzman has chosen between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic when asked which of the Big-3 commands the most respect on court. The former world No. 8 from Argentina recently retired from professional tennis at the Argentina Open.

Since mid-2024, Schwartzman had been away from competitive play. After the clay swing, he only participated in the qualifiers for the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, where he made one final Grand Slam main draw appearance, falling in the first round to Gael Monfils.

Injuries prevented the 32-year-old from regaining the level that once made him one of the best clay-court players. The Argentine even managed to defeat Nadal on clay, scoring a famous win in the 2020 Rome Open quarterfinals.

However, his record against the Big-3 was overwhelmingly one-sided. He went 1-11 against Nadal, 0-7 against Djokovic, and 0-4 against Federer. Schwartzman spent his career alongside the legendary trio, who repeatedly blocked his path to deep runs at the sport’s biggest tournaments—just as they did with an entire generation of players.

In a recent interview following his retirement, Schwartzman was asked which member of the Big-3 inspired the most respect when stepping onto the court. Without hesitation, he chose the 14-time Roland Garros champion Nadal: "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."

Nadal had previously paid tribute to Schwartzman, who was the top Latin American player of recent years and had helped fill the void left by Juan Martín del Potro’s decline. "Congratulations @dieschwartzman for your great career! You've been a great example of struggle and overcoming and I'm glad we've shared so many moments on the circuit. Enjoy your next stage!" posted the 22-time Grand Slam champion after Schwartzman’s final appearance in Buenos Aires.

The Argentine enjoyed a dream farewell in front of his home crowd, securing an emotional victory over Chile’s Nicolás Jarry (7-6, 4-6, 6-3). "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 the match. "Today I played my best tennis. Very similar to Roland Garros against Rafa three years ago, and I’m very happy. I was not expecting to beat him because I hadn’t been playing well. But today, I did my best, and I’m very happy."