[weakeraprophet]

Here are some viewership details of this year's French Open.

1. Tennis Channel’s coverage of the 2022 French Open produced the most-watched match in the network’s 19-year history. The night-session quarterfinal between all-time greats Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on May 31 generated 666,000 viewers. This surpassed the previous single-match record of 511,000 viewers, set by the same players at last year’s French Open, in a semifinal on June 11, 2021.

Tennis Channel sees most-watched match during French Open

2. Rafael Nadal's French Open quarterfinal defeat of Novak Djokovic broke Eurosport's viewership record to become the most-watched Roland Garros match in the channel's history.

The quarterfinal, which lasted more than four hours, saw an average of 833,000 viewers tune in throughout the match. The total viewership crossed the one million mark, registering 1,036,993 at the end.

It became the second-most-watched match in Eurosport's history, with Nadal's win over Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 Australian Open final generating over 1.3 million viewers.

Earlier on Wednesday, the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev registered over half a million (544,687) viewers.

Rafael Nadal's win over Novak Djokovic shatters Eurosport's French Open viewership record (sportskeeda.com)

3. According to Mediametrie, a France-based company that specializes in audience measurement, the two-week long tournament was watched by over 42 million people in France.

French Open 2022 viewership breaches the 42-million mark in France (sportskeeda.com)

 

[weakeraprophet]

While Nadal is definitely not the Greatest Tennis Player of all time. Or even his own ers, he clearly is the Ratings GOAT.

If Hercules was a demi God, Rafael Nadal is a demo God. Since he rules all the key demographics. Let boring players and their insecure fans fight over being the Goat. Nadal doesn't needs to be the GOAT to be lovable and watchable. While I am not Uncle Toni and I can't teach my nephew to play like that, I would love if my nephew behaves like Rafa Nadal.

I am a bit curious, but who do you think is ahead of Nadal in the GOAT race?

 

[weakeraprophet]

Pointing out the obvious, but could viewers be going up because there is more coverage and easier access with streaming in recent years?

TV viewership should actually decline due to access to coverage on streaming platforms.

 

[weakeraprophet]

But Tennis Channel is a streaming service. It gives easier access to watching tennis compared with the old days when you had to pay for satellite TV and extra subscriptions like Eurosport and Sky Sport (or whatever is in your country) which cost a lot more because you had to buy all sports not just tennis.

Of course for streaming platforms the only way is up.

 

[weakeraprophet]

In this era? Kunieda and Serena for sure.
Bryans, Nestor, Djokovic, Federer and Venus all have cases. In a couple of years, Diede van Groot too will have a case. And maybe even Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett. Though currently, I will rate Rafa as #3 of this era, despite many others having done better at home of tennis due to his superior Davis Cup and Olympics records.

There is a difference between Greatest Tennis Player of All time and Greatest Men's Singles Tennis Player of The Open Era after all. How can any singles specialist with their abysmal work rates even figure in the conversation for the overall greatest? Isn't the very premise prepostorous?

Most of the names you mentioned are from other divisions. I was talking about men's singles since most of Nadal's achievements are in that division (moreover this is Men's tennis forums though you can discuss doubles also). There is a sister site named 'Tennis forums' for WTA stuff.

Since you have mentioned Djokovic and Federer, I would like to ask you who among the two leads the GOAT race (men's singles)?

 

[weakeraprophet]

Then please call him the Greatest standing Men's Singles player of this era and not the Greatest tennis player of this era. In MTF, doubles and wheelchair will stand.

Rafa surely has a stronger case than Federer and Djokovic but not stronger than Kunieda. Another men's singles player.

I don't consider Nadal to be the greatest of this era yet. I had Djokovic ahead before French Open but now I have him on par with the Serb. And whoever wins Wimbledon will take the lead in the GOAT race (but not be the GOAT as there are players from another era).