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IMAGE: Novak Djokovic received a document 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 Pictures
If the controversy in regards to the best-ever man to wield a tennis racket got here all the way down to statistics alone, Novak Djokovic’s standing because the GOAT (Biggest 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 lengthen his benefit over the now-retired Roger Federer, who received 20 majors.
The trio have dominated males’s tennis within 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 referred to as the very best of the lot.
However it’s Djokovic who’s at the moment the final man standing among the many “Large 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 need to say that I am the best,” Djokovic advised reporters.
“It is disrespectful in the direction of nice champions in different eras. Every nice champion of his technology has left an enormous mark and paved the way in which.
“I depart these discussions to another person.”
IMAGE: Novak Djokovic grew to become the one man to bag every of the 4 majors – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open – no less than 3 times. {Photograph}: Clive Brunskill/Getty Pictures
The 36-year-old received 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 at all times 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 of the success I’ve, they contributed to it in a method… the numerous hours of considering what it takes to beat them.
“It is wonderful to know I am 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 follow 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 received 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 energy and bodily conditioning, whilst his fellow contenders for the GOAT title started to really feel the results of their lengthy careers.
Federer introduced his profession to an finish final yr on the age of 41 after successful 20 main titles whereas the 36-year-old Nadal might face a uphill process to swell his tally, with 2024 prone to be his ultimate yr on the tour.
Djokovic has solely gotten higher with age and his victory over Ruud prolonged his win-loss document in Grand Slam finals in his 30s to 11-2.
The Serbian’s coach Goran Ivanisevic mentioned he hoped Nadal might return and win one other main however had little question Djokovic had extra titles in him to remain forward with the calendar slam now an actual risk.
“I am actually sorry Rafa is just not right here, however I mentioned a very long time in the past, earlier than even I grew to become member of Djokovic’s staff that him and Rafa, they will go over 22,” Ivanisevic mentioned.
“I am hoping Rafa comes again and wins yet another 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 yr.
“It is nonetheless a great distance, however Grand Slams are the objective now. I do not know what number of, however he has in his physique much more.”
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