Roger Federer’s ex-coach gives his take on if Novak Djokovic is the GOAT
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(Provided by Tennis World USA)
Roger Federer’s former coach Ivan Ljubicic thinks the GOAT debate will “become meaningless” if Novak Djokovic wins a couple of more Grand Slams before retiring. Djokovic, who turned 36 in May, lifted a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title after beating Casper Ruud in the French Open final – Rafael Nadal is second with 22 Slams, while Federer finished his career with 20 Majors.
Now that Djokovic owns the Grand Slam record, some believe the Serb is undoubtedly the greatest of all time. However, there are also those who are offering a different perspective and making the case for Nadal and Federer to be regarded as the GOAT.
Ljubicic, who worked with Federer between 2016 and 2022, acknowledged Djokovic is “the most successful” in tennis history.
Ljubicic on the GOAT debate between Federer, Djokovic & Nadal
“I feel that Novak is the most successful already, but the word ‘greatest’ implies subjectivity and personal preference.
I think that’s good, to be honest – everybody has a preferred GOAT and let the discussion begin. If we look at other sports, for example is there a (definitive) GOAT in football. In basketball everybody agrees that it’s Michael Jordan, but he’s not the one with the most trophies.
It’s someone that influenced you personally mostly: for a third of the world it’s Federer, for the other third of the world it’s Nadal and for the final third it’s Novak. If Novak wins a few more Slams – which seems likely at this point – then the debate becomes meaningless.
If Novak ends up having five to ten more than the others, we won’t have conversations like this anymore,” Ljubicic told Sport Klub. After Djokovic became the first-ever male player with 23 Grand Slam wins, Federer dropped major praise on the Serb, describing his achievements as “incredible.” Also, Federer said earlier this month that Djokovic is “doing great things for tennis.”
Read More: Roger Federer’s ex-coach gives his take on if Novak Djokovic is the GOAT 2023-06-27 11:00:32