When you look at our list of the best tennis players of all time, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Roger Federer are not far behind Novak Djokovic. When you look closer however, Djokovic is the undisputed best tennis player of all time.
How does a player go on to win their 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023?
As dominant and clutch as Pete Sampras was he only won 14 Grand Slams. He couldn't play on clay. Djokovic on the other hand has won the French Open three times.
Roger Federer won 20 Grand Slams. Despite an almost flawless game, Djokovic had a mental edge over Federer with a superior head-to-head record of 27–23, including 13–6 in finals.
And, Rafael Nadal has 22 Grand Slam titles to his game with 14 of those in the French Open. Djokovic has been able to achieve his success across all surfaces and his body is holding up better than Nadal’s into the twilight of their careers.
From the moment Djokovic won his first Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open - interrupting Federer and Nadal's streak of 11 consecutive Grand Slams - you knew that he was going to go on to be something special.
Novak Djokovic’s speech when he won his 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓-𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 Grand Slam title 💬🏆
He was only 21 but his personality made it clear that he was and is special… and he was right “hopefully we'll see here in this stage more often in the future” ❤️🐐 pic.twitter.com/EW3awYhjOt — ᖴᖇᗩᑎI (@frani2312) January 8, 2024
No matter what surface Djokovic plays on his groundstrokes are consistent and very rarely does he find himself making unforced errors. A solid server, it's his return of serve that helps dominate opponents as he often breaks serves thanks to his ability to read his opponents.
Djokovic is one of the most disciplined athletes in world sports and it’s his mental resilience that has helped him become one of the globe's premier athletes. His mental toughness is matched physically, and his ability to hit any shot under any circumstance is why he’s the undisputed best tennis player of all time.
In the public eye he has long divided opinions. His refusal to get vaccinated for COVID-19 was no doubt the lowest his popularity has ever been.
It led to his controversial deportation after the Australian government cancelled his visa for the 2022 Australian Open despite initially receiving a medical exemption to participate in the tournament.
Some may also see Djokovic’s confident demeanour as arrogance. You can’t deny though the positive impact of his humanitarian efforts. He founded the Novak Djokovic Foundation in 2007 and has donated millions to charity.
Novak Djokovic on having his daughter courtside to watch him lift his 24th Grand Slam ❤️🏆 pic.twitter.com/7mdpoUaueF
— Eurosport (@eurosport) September 11, 2023
Sure, the perceptions of superstars are carefully crafted and curated to spin public opinion. Just before the 2024 Australian Open began, a 'Novak Djokovic & Friends' special aired on national prime time TV.
The event was a fundraiser for children’s charities through the Australian Tennis Foundation and saw Djokovic try other sports like cricket, running, gymnastics and basketball against fellow professional athletes.
Novak Djokovic showing impressive basketball skills.
Is there anything he can’t do? pic.twitter.com/Wf8rcIWPDa — Danny 🐊 (@DjokovicFan_) January 11, 2024
What it made me realise however is just how special Novak Djokovic is. A generational athlete who has reached the top of not just tennis, but professional sports. He's always stuck by what he believes in and continues to push both physical and mental boundaries.
There's also the human side of Novak and through the fundraiser you realised just how much he loves not only tennis, but human beings.
I can guarantee one thing. We all won't truly understand what we've witnessed, until he's retired and the world has moved on. We'll all think back about just how special Nole was, and we'll understand even more just why Djokovic is the best tennis player of all time.
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Founded in 2020, I turned my lifelong passion for sport into WolfgangSport.com. As an Australian, I've always been fascinated with the cultural differences and global significance of sports in America so I started writing about topics on the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS and more. Beyond these topics my vision with WolfgangSport.com is continuing to innovate by expanding exposure into developing technologies such as Web3 platforms as I explore elevating user experiences for readers.