In the world of tennis, the debate for the title “greatest tennis player of all time” has raged on for years, with names such as Roger Federer, Rod Laver, Björn Borg, Rafael Nadal and more continuously surfacing in these discussions. In this article, I am going to evaluate 5 reasons as to why at age 36, Novak Djokovic is already the greatest tennis player of all time.
1. Grand Slam Success
One of the most argued statistic as to why Djokovic is the GOAT derives from his unparalleled amount of Grand Slam wins. Following Djokovic’s most recent win (2023 US Open), Rafael Nadal shared his belief that “numbers are numbers and statistics are statistics” – Bleacher Report. With a grand total of 24 Grand Slams, “The Joker” (as many people like to call him), makes a strong argument for his rightfully deserved place in the GOAT discussion.
Now being tied for the most Grand Slam Titles ever with the infamous Margaret Court, Djokovic sets himself apart from other dominant names such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. However, the number itself isn’t what’s most impressive, it’s his versatile ability to dominate on all surfaces, including clay, grass, and hard-courts, showing his unmatched consistency and dominance in the most prestigious tennis events throughout the world.
2. Head-to-Head Records
Novak Djokovic has maintained a winning record against the best players in the world for more than a decade. In 2010-2011, Novak went on a 41 match win streak during which he won 10 titles across all three different surfaces, defeating Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal 10 times collectively. His current record against (as many people believe to be the G.O.A.T.) Roger Federer is 27-24, while his record against Rafael Nadal (another candidate for the GOAT title) is 30-29.
These specific head-to-head records don’t begin to emphasize his unprecedented career win/loss record of 1077-211. Furthermore, Djokovic holds the record for most weeks at world rank #1, which he held for 391 weeks. No other tennis player ever has achieved these records, thus influencing his title as the most dominant player of our generation and possibly of all time.
3. Physical Capabilities
Unlike many tennis professionals after the age of 35, Djokovic has maintained his remarkable fitness and on-court flexibility. Novak’s flexibility is one thing that sets him apart from most professionals of this generation. His ability to slide on hard-court while rarely getting injured astounds everyone in the tennis world. Some say it’s because of his dedicated schedule, while critics like to claim that it derives purely from his “lucky genetics.”
Throughout his 20 year and ongoing career, Djokovic has only gotten injured once. Tennis, being one of the most injury-prone sports due to the intense physical requirements, has rarely ever seen this type of streak. Following his runner-up performance at the 2023 Wimbledon Championship, Djokovic said: “I always have worked a lot on my flexibility, since a young age. I was taught this was extremely important because that’s going to give me longevity.” He illustrates how important his flexibility is to him and how he believes it is responsible for a significant amount of his success.
4. Consistency and Longevity
Djokovic is unarguably the most consistent player of all time. One of his most impressive achievements is being ranked number one in the world during twelve separate years. Throughout these years, he has maintained a 91 win percentage and most notably won over 14 Grand Slams. However, these particular years don’t summarize his entire career. Djokovic has continued to perform at the highest professional level, even sarcastically saying that “36 is the new 26.”
Djokovic’s persistent ability to win even at his age has stirred dislike and hatred toward him. Many people believe that he should “let the younger guys have a chance.” However, Djokovic seems to not mind being surrounded by ‘haters’, even occasionally performing better as to “prove them wrong.”
5. Mental Strength and Resilience
The last aspect which I believe confirms Djokovic’s greatness is his mentality. Almost anyone who knows anything about tennis will answer “Djokovic” when asked which professional is the strongest mentally. His mental strength has been evidenced through many occurrences, one in particular – the 2019 Wimbledon Final. During the 2019 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer, Djokovic was two match points down at 4-5 15-40 in the fifth set. He miraculously managed to come back and defeat Federer, astonishing not only tennis fans but sports fans in general. His mental strength motivates and inspires thousands of people around the world.
Regardless of all the hate he receives, it is indisputable that Djokovic has deserved all the success he has achieved throughout his ongoing career. His career doesn’t look to be finished any time soon, and he’s already established himself as if not the greatest athlete of all time, but the greatest tennis player of all time.
