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Depending on who you ask, Novak Djokovic is a lot of things.
To some people, the Serbian is the greatest player to ever grace the game. To others, he’ll always be that third guy that no matter what he does, no matter how many Grand slams he wins.
But what do Tennis players actually make of the 24-time Grand Slam winner?
And it turns out that Mats Wilander has an interesting title he gave to Djokovic that you’ve probably never heard of.
MATS WILANDER
Mats Wilander might be a sport analyst today, but back in the days, this guy made everyone sing his name.
The swede sensation didn’t possess the artistry or McEnroe or the power and flair of Becker, but he was a student of the game who often relied on his stamina to grind out wins. And with 7 major titles, 33 singles, and his picture sitting pretty in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, it’s no wonder why Wilander is considered as one of the greatest male Tennis players of the 80s.
When Wilander was asked if he thought Djokovic was the greatest player of all time, Wilander responded by saying,
“Djokovich is the BOAT and not the GOAT”
Hold on there! What does that even mean?
Well, it means that whilst Djokovic is undoubtedly an incredible player, Wilander thinks it would be an exaggeration to refer to him as the greatest male Tennis player of all time. He also said it doesn’t matter how many Grand Slams the Serbian has won because it takes more than winning Grand slams to earn the GOAT title.
But as a form of compensation, he referred to Djokovic as a BOAT which means Best of All Time.
Wilander might have a point but you know who doesn’t agree with his assessment?
… JOHN MCENROE
7 Grand Slams, 25 singles titles, and the only player in male Tennis history to hold the world number one ranking in both singles and doubles simultaneously.
John McEnroe wasn’t just a great player, he was an artist on the court. This dude was practically Pablo Picasso using a Tennis Racket instead of a paintbrush.
And when a player like that talks about you, you just gotta listen.
McEnroe has never been shy about giving his opinion on Novak Djokovic, calling the Serbian a phenomenal player and even constantly rooting for him.
In fact, when Djokovic won his record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title in 2023, John McEnroe called the Serbian “one in a billion.” He praised Djokovic’s ability to rise to the occasion every time he’s criticized, and as long as McEnroe is concerned, it’s this trait that makes Djokovic deserving of the GOAT Title and not some newly invented BOAT title as compensation.
Now, when you get flowers like that from an all-time great like John McEnroe, you gotta feel proud.
Speaking of all-time greats, let’s hear what the legendary Bjorn Borg thinks of the Joker.
BJORN BORG
Now, Bjorn Borg wasn’t human, that guy was a machine!
And while the likes of Kevin Keegan and Johan Cryuff dominated the footballing world, Bjorn Borg made the tennis court his birthright. This guy literally obliterated every opponent that came his way like a bazooka on destroy mode.
At the start of 2023, Borg was asked for his opinion on Djokovic, and the 11-time grand slam winner couldn’t hide his admiration. Borg even went as far as saying that Djokovic still had one or two Grand slams left in him.
“Novak, I think he might win one or two more Grand Slam tournaments… Unbelievable. He’s still pushing the limits. He wants to be the greatest.”
Well, not only would the Joker end up winning two grand slams before the end of his career, he actually went on to win an incredible three grand slams in 2023.
Now, that’s something only a GOAT is capable of.
However, when it comes to the GOAT title, there’s someone that even Djokovic thinks is deserving of that award and that man happens to be the King of the Clay.
But what does Nadal have to say about Djokovic?
RAFAEL NADAL
Now, everybody knows Nadal and Djokovic are like oil and water, fire and ice, gasoline and flames. Eveytime these two have met on the court, they’ve produced some of the most thrilling matches the game of tennis has ever seen with both players giving their all. In fact, the rivalry between these two is so intense that they don’t even see eye to eye.
Trust me, the last place you want to be is in the same room with these two.
During an interview with EFE in 2023, Nadal admitted he didn’t think Djokovic was going to win 3 Grand Slams in 2023, but he had this to say:
“I imagined Djokovic winning a Grand Slam but I didn’t imagine him winning three… In the end we all know that Djokovic is what he is and that he has achieved something historic, something that had never been achieved before and all that remains is to congratulate him.”
The Spanish tennis icon also brushed off the claims that he would have done better than Djokovic if he hadn’t been so unlucky with injuries. He even said it was absolutely ridiculous to rid the Serbian player of what he deserves just because of “what ifs”.
Now, that’s something you love to see. A goat standing up for another GOAT. But what’s even more incredible about this is hearing Nadal stand up for Djokovic despite their heated rivalry.
RICHARD GASQUET
Richard Gasquet might not make the headlines as much as he would have liked but it’s easy to forget just how good the French player was in his early years.
Unfortunately, he fell off and never became the player many thought he would eventually morph into.
The French player was recently asked who was the GOAT between Federer and Djokovic and Gasquet responded by saying,
“I don’t think the title of the Greatest player of all-time should be considered by how many titles you win alone. There are other aesthetics to consider.”.
Yes, he used the word ‘aesthetics’.
The French player also said that what he watches out for the most while watching tennis is the beauty and gracefulness of it. He affirms that Djokovic is an amazing player but he believes he lacks the grace Roger possesses and to him, that’s the only weakness in Djokovic’s game.
Although Gasquet swears his statement doesn’t come from a dark place, we can’t help but wonder if Djokovic beating him 14 times out 15 head-to-head encounters might have played a part in this.
However, Gasquet isn’t the only player to shun Djokovic in favor of Federer.
STEFAN EDBERG
In the history of tennis, Edberg’s name will forever be remembered in the game. Not only due to his brilliant serve-and-volley skills but because of his ability to win several titles amidst his intense rivalry with Boris Becker during a period which is known as the most competitive in tennis. So, he is no doubt an all-time great.
But is he a fan of Djokovic?
Well, not so much. Stefan believes it’s completely wrong to crown the Joker the GOAT.
However, many believe this statement is mostly due to sentiments.
The Swedish legend worked with Djokovic’s major rival Federer during the years between 2013 and 2015, so he automatically sees the Serbian as a rival. And this feeling escalated when Djokovic prevented Federer from winning Championship titles not once but three different times.
But what makes the animosity between Edberg and Djokovic worse is that the Serbian player had also gone ahead to take the Swedish icon’s sworn rival, Boris as his mentor.
So, it’s no surprise Djokovic has never won Edberg’s sportsmanship award even once despite doing amazingly well. And a fun fact is that Federer has won it 13 times.
Now you understand why I said Stefan’s beliefs about outstanding tennis players are more about sentimentality than facts.
But what does Federer himself have to say about the Joker?
ROGER FEDERER
In 2023, Djokovic moved three Grand slam titles ahead of Federer and although it might have been painful for the Swiss to see his long-term rival move clear of him, Federer says he couldn’t be more happy for Novak.
He said,
“I thought what Novak did is incredible… Honestly, it’s great for tennis, great for sports when tennis writes its own history and keeps on adding to it like we’ve seen with Serena Williams as well, Rafa then myself and now with Novak… He looks like he’s gonna keep on doing that for a long time still to come, which is great. And I wish him all the best.”
That’s high praise coming from the Swiss legend who’s considered by many as the greatest of all-time. Federer and Novak met 50 times before the Swiss legend retired in 2022 with Novak leading the head-to-head record of 27–23, including 13–6 in finals.
CHRIS EVERT
The American former world No.1 tennis player, Chris, dominated the women’s tennis court in the years between 1970 and 1980.
She spiced up the court with her intense rivalry with another great player, Martina Navratilova and also filled up her shelves with several trophies both in world championships and singles. She was indeed a legend.
And this female tennis icon mentioned that no one can be compared to Djokovic at the moment. She shared that she believes the Serbian would always be a favorite on the court and that he can prevail over anything once he puts his mind to it.
But the peak of her admiration came after Djokovic’s record-breaking Triumph at the French Open this year 2023. She couldn’t help but rain praises on the champion on her Twitter page.
She said over the past 50 years of studying tennis and its players, she hadn’t seen anyone like Novak. To her, his emotional and physical strength is unmatched and the work he puts into making every shot count is outstanding.
And for these reasons, she believes there is no one better referred to as the GOAT other than the Serbian.
Looking through these you can see that Djokovic is a lot of things depending on the side you’re looking from.
But what do you think about Novak Djokovic? Do you consider him the GOAT? Let us know in the comments section.
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