‘Roger Federer will remain the most popular player ever, but Novak Djokovic will finish as the GOAT’: Tim Henman
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Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer
Who is the Greatest of all time (GOAT) in tennis is a prevalent debate in the world of tennis. While most believe that World No.1 Novak Djokovic deserves the GOAT tag, some think otherwise.
However, when it comes to pick the most popular player ever in tennis, Switzerland’s Roger Federer wins the poll by a long shot. Speaking to Tennis 365, former World No.4 Tim Henman too went in favour of the Swiss maestro.
“If you are talking about impact and popularity, it is a one-horse race and there is no doubt that Federer is the most popular player that has ever played our sport,” the Brit opined. “But you have to say if Novak goes to 21 and Federer and [Rafael] Nadal are on 20, you would have to say Djokovic is leading that debate over who is the greatest, but throw in a Calendar Grand Slam and it would elevate him to a different level. He would then be the best male player of all time.”
The Serbian superstar has already touched down New York in pursuit of his fourth US Open title. Djokovic has already won the first three Slams of the year and has a golden opportunity to achieve a rare feat of Calendar Slam, if he can win the US Open. While the 34-year-old might have lost the chance to win a medal for his country at the recently concluded Tokyo Games, Henman believes that Djokovic will be refreshed and raring to go in New York.
Henman backs Djokovic to create history
“Now there is so much on the like for Novak and for me, the meltdowns he has had at the US Open last year and at the Olympics a few weeks ago might help him now. He has got them out of his system now.”
The 46-year-old also felt that the 20-time Grand Slam champion will be man to beat in New York and it is unlikely that the Serbian will let a shot at history slip out of his hands.
“That will focus his mind even more and I really feel the stars are aligning for Djokovic and he is going to be incredibly tough to beat in three out of five-set matches. It’s great for the game that we have got the opportunity,” explained Henman.
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Vivek Krishnan
(767 Articles Published)