Novak Djokovic Tactfully Refuses to Pick the Greatest Tennis Player

Novak Djokovic has refused to state who is the greatest player of all time. He has also declined to put himself forward in the hot seat, noting how hard it is to compare the greats of the sport due to the evolution of the game. The 38-year-old has often been labeled by players as the tennis GOAT because of his record in Grand Slams.

Djokovic has proved to be one of the greatest icons of the sport. He has broken several records on tour and won 24 Grand Slams, more than any male player in the Open Era. He took his tour-level title to 101 on Saturday (November 8) after beating Lorenzo Musetti in the final of the Hellenic Championship.

The men’s circuit has witnessed the likes of Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, and Andre Agassi. Nonetheless, Djokovic only played with Federer and Nadal on tour, forming the legendary Big 3.

Djokovic stands tall among the men’s players in terms of Slams having claimed it 24 times in his career. During an interview with Piers Morgan on Uncensored, the 38-year-old revealed that he doesn’t like to put forward a player as the greatest player of all time as it is quite complicated:

I’ve been asked this question quite a bit, particularly lately, in the last several years — because obviously there are a lot of stats that people use to compare Nadal, Federer, and myself, primarily because of our numbers: Grand Slams won, tournaments won, weeks spent as world number one, etc. But my answer is quite consistent when it comes to the overall discussion about the greatest of all time, and I’m going to say it again. I’m not going to say whether I’m the greatest or not, because it’s not my position to say that, and I would say that would be very disrespectful towards the generations that have paved the way for me, Nadal, Federer, and all the others.

Djokovic is the only player over 31 years old in the top 10 of the ATP rankings. He has not been able to claim the World No.1 position since losing it to Jannik Sinner in June 2024. He has also struggled to win a Grand Slam tournament in the past two years, but has often played excellently until at least the semi-finals.

Novak Djokovic believes he can still win his 25th Grand Slam despite Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s dominance

Novak Djokovic has struggled against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the past two seasons, particularly in Grand Slam events. The last time the former World No.1 got to a major tournament final was at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where he lost to Alcaraz in straight sets.

This season alone, he has failed to beat Sinner on two occasions in Grand Slams and on one occasion against Alcaraz. During the aforementioned interview with Piers Morgan, the Serbian legend revealed that he still believes that he can win his 25th Grand Slam title despite being given a hard time by Alcaraz and Sinner at the moment:

I’m aware that [comparing] my best level now and their best level now, they’re better. That’s the reality. I have always believed in things that are almost impossible to achieve. I do have doubts that I can win Slams against these two guys. But when I enter the court, I don’t care who’s across the net. I always believe I’m better and I deserve to win.

Djokovic will face a tough test next year, trying to beat Alcaraz and Sinner on tour. The 38-year-old won two titles this season, with both coming at the ATP 250 level. Next season, he will hope to win more tournaments, particularly ATP 500 and 1000-level events, but might find it incredibly hard to do so in Grand Slams.

Also Read: Alex de Minaur “Mentally” Frustrated After Narrowly Losing to Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Finals

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