Andy Murray claims Novak Djokovic is not the GOAT despite winning the historic 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open

In a recent interview with Sky News, British Tennis player, Andy Murray shared his opinion on the ongoing GOAT debate, which has been making the rounds on the internet lately. Murray praised Novak Djokovic’s dominance at the Majors and even pointed out that the Serb will end his career with the most Major titles.

“If you go on Grand Slam titles, you have to give it to Novak,” Murray said. However, more interestingly, he remarked that the idea of there being a ‘greatest of all time’ in a sport should be more nuanced than simply the number of big titles won.

Furthermore, he went on to praise the effect the Big 3 have had on the sport and the role they have played in popularizing it to the level that it is at now. Having won three major titles in his career, Murray remarked that even though he knows what goes into winning a Major title, winning 20+ Grand Slam titles seems like a ridiculous feat.

“I know how difficult it is to win a Slam so for these guys to win 23, 22, and 20 it’s ridiculous. Sometimes I watch them playing matches and I’m like ‘Wow, I can’t believe I used to win and compete against them in the biggest matches in the biggest tournaments.’”

Murray jokingly noted that the more titles Novak wins on tour, the more incredible his victories against the Big 3 would seem.

The Big 3 era is ending?

The era of the Big 3 is now in its twilight stage. Roger Federer retired last year at the Laver Cup, and Nadal is set to make 2024 his last season on tour. Novak is the last remaining member who continues to dominate the tour in some fashion.

Djokovic has now won the last three grand slam titles he has participated in. In fact, Novak is the current holder of the Australian Open, the French Open, and the Wimbledon titles. Alcaraz won the US Open last year in his absence due to vaccination restrictions.

With that being said, it seems like Roger and Rafa may finally be done dominating the field the way they used to. However, the same does not apply to Novak, who shows no signs of stopping. While we may be at the end of an era and perhaps on the cusp of a new one, it is Novak who keeps racking up the titles and reminding the tour that he is yet to be done.

With Wimbledon around the corner, Andy Murray is preparing for his most successful Slam with the hope of winning a third title here. He holds the interesting record of being the only player to have defeated Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon final. Novak, on the other hand, is now chasing a record-equaling eighth Wimbledon title and is the clear favorite.

In case you missed it:

• “How does this man keep getting worse” – Nick Kyrgios called GREEDY before being ripped apart by fans for supporting ATP’s deal with Saudi Arabia
• Andy Murray addresses Serena Williams like retirement rumors at Wimbledon as home Major approaches