Djokovic has 23 Slams, so is he the ‘GOAT’’? He leaves that debate to others

Associatied Press

Paris: The query was swift and direct. Novak Djokovic’s reply was slow, thoughtful and revelatory, delivered in paragraphs.  “How does it feel,” a reporter wanted to know, “to be the greatest male player in history?” First, a quick bit of background: Djokovic’s championship at the 2023 French Open, earned via a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Casper Ruud on Sunday that included a soso start and then a cascade of brilliance, provided his 23rd Grand Slam title. No man has won as many.

After spending his entire career trying to accumulate as much hardware as rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Djokovic now stands alone atop the list. He had been tied at 22 with Nadal; Federer, who announced his retirement last year, has 20. So, now, back to that question.

For years, as that socalled Big Three dominated men’s tennis, the debate has swirled over which should be considered the “GOAT” “Greatest of All-Time.” Federer has his backers. So does Nadal. Djokovic, too. There are those who want to make it purely about numbers, and Djokovic earns that crown: In addition to the majors count, he has spent a record number of weeks at No.

1 in the rankings and has won each of the Masters 1000 events twice, while the other guys haven’t won each once. There are those who want to make it about style. There are those who want to look at other intangibles. Then there are those who believe all three men deserve to be lauded and appreciated equally. No need to take a side. And so, let’s hear Djokovic’s reply.

“I mean, I don’t want to say that I am the greatest, because I feel I’ve said it before it’s disrespectful towards all the great champions in different eras of our sport that was played in a completely different way than it is played today,” Djokovic said Sunday night, wearing a red jacket with “23? stitched on the front. “I feel like each great champion of his own generation has left a huge mark, a legacy, and paved the way for us to be able to play this sport in such a great stage worldwide.” He was just getting started.

“So,” the 36-year-old from Serbia continued, ”I leave those kind of discussions of who is the greatest to someone else. I have, of course, huge faith and confidence and belief (in) myself and for everything that I am and who I am and what I am capable of doing. So this trophy obviously is another confirmation of the quality of tennis that I’m still able to produce, I feel.”

He went on to say what he’s said before about the significance of the four major tournaments the Australian Open (which he’s won 10 times), French Open (three), Wimbledon (seven) and the U.S. Open (three) and called them “THE biggest priorities on the checklist for not just this season, but any season, especially at this stage of my career.”