The debate about who is the greatest tennis player of all time is again on fans’ minds, but Novak Djokovic is refusing to engage in any discussion about the topic.
Novak Djokovic met his great rival Rafael Nadal for an unprecedented 60th time on Tuesday at the Olympics. There was huge excitement before the match due to the pair’s incredible battles at Roland-Garros in the past.
Unfortunately, the match did not deliver on the hype. Nadal is nowhere near his best after being sidelined with multiple injuries in the last few years, and Djokovic swept the legendary Spaniard aside 6-1, 6-4 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
At one point, it seemed like the Serbian was going to win the match even more comfortably than he did. Djokovic admitted he got too comfortable during a period of the second set before restoring his dominance to prevail
Interestingly, Nadal made his opinion on the GOAT debate clear after the match. While discussing why he could not cause Djokovic as many problems as their previous meetings, he called the 24-time Grand Slam champion the ‘best in history.’
It was a big admission from Nadal. Many of the Spaniard’s most ardent fans have continued to argue that the 14-time French Open champion is the greatest, but they may reconsider their views after Nadal said Djokovic was the best in history.
Understandably, reporters were interested to hear whether Djokovic thought his latest victory against Nadal settled the GOAT debate in his favour. However, unlike Nadal, the 10-time Australian Open champion was not as open about the subject.
Djokovic may be sick of being asked about the topic, or he may not want to appear arrogant if he believes he is the best. Although Djokovic admitted there is no brotherhood with Nadal, he undoubtedly has huge respect for the 38-year-old.
The Serbian’s biggest singles rival right now is Carlos Alcaraz, who is playing in the doubles with Nadal at the Olympics. Djokovic was asked about the possibility of facing Alcaraz in the final but felt such talk was disrespectful to players in his side of the draw.
“Hopefully I can get to that match, that means silverware is guaranteed. It is not appropriate to talk about it now, so as not to be disrespectful to the rivals. There are many good players there – [Alexander] Zverev, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, a lot needs to be predicted.”
Djokovic, who has achieved everything in the sport apart from winning a gold medal, was also asked about the atmosphere at the Olympics compared to the four Grand Slams. The 24-time Grand Slam champion feels the Olympics has a more intense atmosphere.
“If I have to compare, I’d say it’s a little more intense [at the Olympics] because you’re representing your country. You can feel the tension, the atmosphere is different. Interest in the match was great. I played an almost perfect match, it got a little complicated, but I felt good and with a lot of confidence.