Nadal has a winning record against all of his rivals.
He is 21-10 against Federer, 22-15 when facing Djokovic and 13-5 against world No. 3 Andy Murray.
In Grand Slam play, he has lost just 23 times, while Djokovic has shipped 30 defeats and Federer 40, although the 32-year-old Swiss has played many more times.
If Nadal’s knees remain sturdy, it looks likely that McEnroe’s confidence in the Spaniard’s place in the sport’s history will be fully justified.