Novak Djokovic: Making the case for greatness

Published by Vivienne Christie

A 13th major at Wimbledon elevated Novak Djokovic to fourth place among men's Grand Slam winners; Getty Images
Rod Laver, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal…. Novak Djokovic? The Serb’s recent triumphs elevate him further in the discussion about the best male player ever.

Who is the Greatest of All Time in men’s tennis? It’s a question that seems as old as the game itself, containing as many complexities and emotions as a long five-setter at the business end of a Grand Slam.

In truth, it’s a question with no definitive answer – but it’s fun making a case.

Contrasts in eras, surfaces and circumstances all factor as we debate if Roger Federer has taken the mantle from Rod Laver. And while Rafael Nadal maintains his vice-like grip on world No.1 at age 32, he also belongs in the GOAT conversation.

And so too does Novak Djokovic. In fact, he might even be the greatest by current measures.

It’s admittedly a curious claim of a man who spent much of 2018 floundering outside the top 20 and suffered such ignominious losses as one to world No.109 qualifier Taro Daniel in his opener at Indian Wells and to No.142 Martin Kilizan at the same stage of Barcelona.

But the contrast to the Djokovic who has since lifted his 13th Grand Slam trophy at Wimbledon and became the first man to complete the ATP Masters 1000 collection with a long-awaited Cincinnati victory adds to his GOAT credentials.

So too does the manner in which the Serb achieved those milestones.

At Wimbledon, a steely Djokovic edged ahead of Nadal to win the second-longest semifinal contested at the All England Club, his 10-8 fifth-set victory achieved in five hours and 15 minutes over two days at the tournament.

At Cincinnati, Djokovic survived three-set tests in four matches before he soundly defeated Federer – in his sixth final there – to claim the only Masters title that had frustratingly eluded him.

“(It’s) definitely one of the most special moments in my career,” said Djokovic of his historic victory.

“Achievements, making history of the sport that I truly love is a great privilege and honour and something that I’ll be very proud of for the rest of my life.”

And well he should be. With the ‘Golden Masters’ sweep, Djokovic underlined his versatility on every surface – indoor or outdoor, hard court and clay in Masters events, his grass credentials measured by four titles at Wimbledon – and against any opponent.

Great rivals

It’s Djokovic’s performances against fellow candidates Federer and Nadal, however, which provide the greatest boost to his GOAT status.

Marking a first match against Federer since Australian Open 2016, Djokovic’s 6-4 6-4 victory in the Cincinnati final extended his winning head-to-head record against the Swiss to 24-22.

He’s also the leader in a record-breaking rivalry with Nadal – their 52 encounters marking the most of any male players in history – with 27 wins to 25 for the Spaniard.

And it’s not merely that Djokovic leads each of those modern-day greats by an impressive two matches, but that the wins have come on so many big occasions.

At Cincinnati, he inflicted Federer’s only loss in the eight finals he’s contested there. More pointedly, Djokovic leads their Grand Slam record with nine wins in 15 matches. Among them are three consecutive wins in major finals – 2014 and 2015 Wimbledon, plus the 2015 US Open.

REPORT: Djokovic beats Federer in Cincinnati final

Nadal, too, has fallen to Djokovic in some epic Grand Slam battles: most recently stopped by the Serb in his first Wimbledon semifinal for seven years, Djokovic is also one of just two men (alongside Robin Soderling in 2009) to defeat Nadal at the French Open, doing so in the 2015 quarterfinals. Djokovic also claimed the 2012 Australian Open after defeating his great rival in a final spanning close to six hours.

Delving further into Djokovic’s record against Nadal arguably lends further weight to the Serb’s GOAT status. Rafa unsurprisingly dominates – but doesn’t completely own – Novak on clay, with wins in 16 of 23 matches (although let’s not forget one of those wins denied Nadal at the French Open).

On grass, they’re even at two wins apiece but hard court has increasingly become the Serb’s most damaging surface. Claiming 18 wins in their total 25 hard court matches, Djokovic hasn’t allowed Nadal a win in the seven matches they’ve contested on the surface since the 2013 US Open.

There’s also no denying that Djokovic has consistently had the better of his great rivals since he peaked in the 2011 season. He’s the winner of 19 matches among 28 contested against Federer since AO2011; against Nadal in that same period, he’s amassed a 20-9 winning record.

Astonishing standards

With each of those rivalries showcasing an astonishingly high standard of tennis, Djokovic is the first to acknowledge how Federer and Nadal have elevated his potential GOAT status.

“It’s a pleasure to share the court with him, with the all-time great and I truly mean that. With him, with [Rafael] Nadal, these guys have been such an integral, important part of my life and my career and my evolution as a tennis player,” he noted after 24th win over Federer in Cincinnati.

“They make me play my best tennis. They make me improve. They made me think about what I need to do in order to try to be the best player in the world.”

Granted, Djokovic still trails the Big Two in actual titles. Federer has 98 titles in total, including his record 20 Grand Slams and 27 Masters 1000 victories. Nadal’s 80 titles include 17 Grand Slams and an unparalleled 33 Masters 1000 wins. For Djokovic, a total of 70 titles includes 13 Grand Slams and 31 Masters 1000s.

But even as he jokes that his trophy room is “still much smaller than Roger’s room … and Rafa’s and Jimmy Connors’,” the famously dedicated Djokovic would also know that he also leads in one important category:  his “big titles” – Grand Slams and Masters 1000s – compared to overall victories. There, Djokovic holds an impressive 70 per cent record, leading Nadal’s 63 “big title” percentage and 54 for Federer.

And while the 31-year-old Djokovic arguably has more time than Nadal and Federer (aged 32 and 37 respectively) to keep adding to those numbers, he also owns some even greater measures of dominance already.

In completing his major collection at the 2016 French Open, Djokovic become only the third man to hold a non-calendar year Grand Slam. He was the first to do so since Rod Laver in 1969 and the first ever to do it on three different surfaces.

Other measures of his GOAT status are in the memorable seasons that rank among the best in tennis history. In 2011, he recorded the best start to a year since John McEnroe in 1984 with a 41-match winning streak that only ended in the French Open semifinals. Amassing a 70-6 record as he claimed 10 titles from 11 finals that year, the Serb was even more impressive when he won 11 titles from 15 finals, constructing an 82-6 record, in the 2015 season.

Beyond the numbers

There’s also a sense of greatness that extends beyond the numbers. From the anguish of the injury and form struggles that saw Djokovic question his future in the game only months ago, the reinstalled world No.6 has staged one of sport’s most famous turnarounds.

With that, comes both the desire and belief for Djokovic to build on his lofty record. “Obviously the Wimbledon win made things quite different for me,” he says. “I felt more confident on the court … having that experience obviously helps to have that self-belief and the right approach.”

Among all of those aforementioned titles for Djokovic are two at the US Open. Many opponents will be nervous as the final 2018 Slam approaches – chief among them are undoubtedly other GOAT challengers, as a surging Novak threatens their place in tennis history.

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