French Open: Novak Djokovic cements status in GOAT debate

IMAGE: Novak Djokovic gained a file twenty third Grand Slam singles title on the French Open on Sunday to face alone on the summit of males’s tennis. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

If the debate in regards to the best-ever man to wield a tennis racket got here all the way down to statistics alone, Novak Djokovic’s status because the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) would already be determined after he clinched a twenty third Grand Slam title on the French Open on Sunday.

The Serb beat Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 to eclipse Rafael Nadal’s mark of twenty-two Grand Slam titles and prolong his benefit over the now-retired Roger Federer, who gained 20 majors.

The trio have dominated males’s tennis in the final 20 years with a collective 65 Grand Slam titles and divide opinion amongst their loyal fanbases and analysts about who deserves to be generally known as the very best of the lot.

But it’s Djokovic who’s at the moment the final man standing among the many “Big Three” with Nadal successfully out for the season following hip muscle surgical procedure, though the Serbian performed down the importance of his newest crown.

“I do not wish to say that I’m the best,” Djokovic advised reporters.

“It’s disrespectful in the direction of nice champions in different eras. Each nice champion of his era has left an enormous mark and paved the way in which.

“I go away these discussions to another person.”

IMAGE: Novak Djokovic turned the one man to bag every of the 4 majors – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open – at the least thrice. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

The 36-year-old gained his first Grand Slam title in 2008 when Federer had already claimed 13 of his 20 crowns and Nadal’s period of unprecedented dominance was underway on the Parisian clay with the Spaniard primed to make inroads on the opposite surfaces.

“I’ve all the time in contrast myself to those guys, the 2 biggest rivals in my profession,” Djokovic mentioned.

“I’ve mentioned earlier than they’ve outlined me as a participant. All the success I’ve, they contributed to it in a method… the numerous hours of pondering what it takes to beat them.

“It’s superb to know I’m one forward of Rafa however on the similar time everybody writes their very own historical past. I feel everybody has a singular journey they need to embrace and persist with however in fact the three of us and Andy (Murray), we reached the golden period.”

Djokovic’s stand up the general tally gathered tempo in 2011 when he gained three majors, a feat he went on to repeat 4 years later to get into double figures.

The Serbian’s regular progress in the previous few seasons is a testomony to his psychological power and bodily conditioning, at the same time as his fellow contenders for the GOAT title started to really feel the consequences of their lengthy careers.

Federer introduced his profession to an finish final 12 months on the age of 41 after profitable 20 main titles whereas the 36-year-old Nadal could face a uphill job to swell his tally, with 2024 more likely to be his remaining 12 months on the tour.

Djokovic has solely gotten higher with age and his victory over Ruud prolonged his win-loss file in Grand Slam finals in his 30s to 11-2.

The Serbian’s coach Goran Ivanisevic mentioned he hoped Nadal may return and win one other main however had little doubt Djokovic had extra titles in him to remain forward with the calendar slam now an actual risk.

“I’m actually sorry Rafa isn’t right here, however I mentioned a very long time in the past, earlier than even I turned member of Djokovic’s staff that him and Rafa, they will go over 22,” Ivanisevic mentioned.

“I’m hoping Rafa comes again and wins yet one more and Novak is the one participant who can win a calendar Grand Slam. He was one match away two years in the past, so he has an opportunity this 12 months.

“It’s nonetheless a great distance, however Grand Slams are the aim now. I do not know what number of, however he has in his physique much more.”