The arguments that make Djokovic the best in history… and some that don't

Novak Djokovic is already the tennis player with the most Grand Slam in history: yesterday at Roland Garros he celebrated his number 23 to Rafa Nadal's 22 and Roger Federer's 21. Novak Djokovic is the tennis player with the most Masters 1000 titles: he has 38 while Nadal won 36 and Federer, 28.

Novak Djokovic is the tennis player who has spent the most weeks at number 1 in the ATP ranking: this week he will inaugurate number 388, for the 310 with which Federer retired and Nadal's 209. And, among other things, Novak Djokovic is the tennis player who has beaten his rivals the most times: his balance with Nadal is 30 wins to 29 losses and with Federer, 27 to 23.

Novak Djokovic is the best tennis player of all time. That's it. All statistics support him. It's the end of the story. Or not? Not really. Despite Djokovic's success yesterday at Roland Garros, the debate over who deserves the throne, who rules the books, who is the GOAT. persists. “Even if Djokovic breaks all the records, he will always be questioned, with Federer and Nadal that would not happen”, the Frenchman Nicolas Mahut correctly analyzed recently in L'Equipe. Thus, it is not a patriotic vision, which is reduced to Spain -or Switzerland-; Djokovic's numbers will never really end the discussion in tennis. Because?

Djokovic's character

In his record you can find a void, Olympic gold, but among so many achievements it seems almost an anecdote. At the center of the doubts about Djokovic is really his attitude off the slopes. His histrionics as a young man on the court would be forgivable -Federer at 20 was not an angel either-, but not his anti-science and conspiracy character. In his career, under the guidance of guru Pepe Imaz, Djokovic has embraced all kinds of pseudo-therapies, from watsu to acupuncture with moxibustion, from celery juice to homeopathy, and possibly that wouldn't do him so much harm if a pandemic hadn't happened. killed millions of people around the world. The coronavirus, his refusal to get vaccinated, his parties and everything that happened around the 2022 Australian Open destroyed his image and his story as the best.

In extra-sports, the beautiful friendship between Federer and Nadal does not help him either and always being oblivious to that relationship -something really visible in the Swiss's withdrawal-, although not all the arguments against him are off the track.

Against Federer and Nadal at the summit

In tennis, you can also find compelling reasons not to raise him to the altar of posterity. One of them, of course, is that Nadal can return next year, match and even surpass his Grand Slam record.. But there is more. For example: Djokovic barely beat the best Federer, the one from the 2000s, in fact his balance at that time with the Swiss was an unfavorable 13-6. Another example: he could never beat Nadal in a Roland Garros final and, what's more, the Spaniard beats him head-to-head in Grand Slam (11-7) and in Grand Slam finals (5-4).

In addition, while Federer can be defended through his elegant style and his ability to raise the level of tennis and Nadal can be defended through his combativeness and his character, Djokovic does not have an imprint of that caliber for the history. He is a tennis player who dominates all shots and all surfaces – the only man capable of winning at least three Grand Slams – but that narrative does not seem sufficient for comparison.

Novak Djokovic is the best tennis player of all time. The discussion is over. Or not? Not really.