‘Don’t know who is the GOAT, but Novak has been the best player of this era,’ says Christopher Clarey

‘Don’t know who is the GOAT, but Novak has been the best player of this era,’ says Christopher Clarey

Novak Djokovic

Who is the greatest of all time in tennis? This is one of the strongest debates that continues to do the rounds in the men’s game. In fact, after Novak Djokovic tied Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at 20-Grand Slams each, the discussion has only gained more momentum.

Although the Serb arguably has a better overall record as compared to the Swiss and Spaniard, some section of the society believes stats alone cannot determine as to who is the best ever.

Recently, established tennis writer Christopher Clarey has also voiced his opinion on the subject. The renowned journalist also recently wrote a book on the Swiss maestro- ‘The Master: The Brilliant Career of Roger Federer feels that it is tough to pick the best of all time. However, Clarey also added that considering the stats and numbers, Djokovic has earned the right to be called as the best of his generation.

“I’m not going to comment on who’s the best ever. But Novak seems to be the best player in terms of pure results when it comes to who is the best player of this era. In my opinion, the presence of Federer and Nadal was both a burden and a blessing for Djokovic. If he were the only dominant player in tennis, he wouldn’t have become the player he is now,” Clarey told welovetennis.fr.

Big-Three to miss Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic

Federer and Nadal are still recovering from their respective injuries and it remains to be seen when they will return to the tour in 2022. On the other hand, Djokovic has intentionally chosen to not play the tournament in the desert, after a gruelling season.

As a result, this will be the first time in the Indian Wells Masters history since 2000, that none of the big-three members will be participating. Moreover, it is also one of the rare 1000 Masters, where Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have all triumphed.

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