Novak Djokovic has finally equaled Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s slam record after winning his 20th record. There is an ongoing discussion about who is the greatest tennis player of all time. Many think that the key indicator is the number of slams won in singles, while some others have a more holistic approach to the discussion.
Why Djokovic says he is the best
During the press conference that followed the Wimbledon final, Djokovic was asked if he considers himself the best male player of all time. His answer was rather straightforward:
“I consider myself best and I believe that I am the best, otherwise I wouldn’t be talking confidently about winning slams and making history.
But whether I’m the greatest of all time or not, I leave that debate to other people.
I said before that it’s very difficult to compare the eras of tennis. We have different racquets, technology, balls, courts.
It’s just completely different conditions that we’re playing in, so it’s very hard to compare tennis, say, from 50 years ago to today. But I am extremely honored to definitely be part of the conversation.”
Novak Djokovic in 2021
Ranked no.1, the Serbian played his last match on the 11th of July when he defeated world no.9 Matteo Berrettini 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 6-3 in the final of the Wimbledon to win his 85th career title.
During this season the Serbian owns an overall 34-3 win-loss record. Djokovic has won 4 titles in 2021 at the Australian Open, in Belgrade, at the French Open and in Wimbledon. Djokovic got to the final in Rome.
Rafael Nadal in 2021
Currently ranked no.3, Rafael played his last match on the 11th of June when he surrendered to world no.1 Novak Djokovic 3-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-2 in the semifinal of the French Open (draw).
Until now, during this year the Spaniard has managed to achieve a 23-4 match record. Nadal conquered 2 titles in 2021 in Barcelona and in Rome.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal clashed against each other 58 times. Their current head to head is 30-28 for Djokovic. Previously, the last time when they played each other, Novak Djokovic won 3-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-2 in the semifinal in Paris (French Open) on the 11th of June 2021.
You can see them in action in the following highlights.
Roger Federer in 2021
Ranked no.8, Roger played his last match on the 7th of July when he surrendered to world no.18 Hubert Hurkacz 6-3 7-6(4) 6-0 in the quarter of the Wimbledon (draw).
Currently, during this season Federer has a 9-4 win-loss record.
