The tennis world is abuzz since Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon because he now stands within touching distance of shattering records at the final grand slam of the year: the US Open.
Not only can he complete a season grand slam – a feat no other player in the Open era has achieved – he can also surpass both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the all-time grand slam singles title standings.
With there being no sense that his standard of play is about to drop, we thought we would look at the burning question: If Djokovic wins his 21st grand slam title is he the unrivaled, undisputed GOAT? Here are some of the arguments for “Yay” and some of the ones for “Nay”. Can anyone stop the Djoker’s charge or is he simply playing tennis from another dimension?
Can Federer do anything to stop the Serb overhauling his records or will the Swiss slink off into a well-deserved retirement?
Yes – Head-to-Head Numbers Do Not Lie
The first place to start when it comes to comparing any two players is to look at how they have fared against each other down through the years. Tennis tipsters and bettors are constantly looking at such stats as they go about trying to make their picks ahead of a major tournament, and for good reason, because they often sort through the nostalgia and favoritism to give a measured and impartial viewpoint.
Such is the case when it comes to the head-to-head records that Djokovic holds over his two main rivals. At the time of writing, he has a 30-28 winning record against Nadal and an even more impressive 27-23 record against Federer.
With Djokovic clearly hitting his peak at the age of 34, while both the Spaniard and the Swiss labor with niggling injuries, and it is clear for all to see that in the tennis betting odds Djokovic will continue to top the money lines and potentially extend those H2H stats. There will not be many betting punters wagering too heavily in favor of Nadal or Federer the next time they run up against the rampant World number 1. Wouldn’t it be fitting if he beat one of them at the US Open 2021!
Djokovic played flawless tennis at Wimbledon and now has his sights set on making history at the US Open
No – Being the GOAT is more than just tennis
There is a prevailing argument among sports aficionados that racking up a record number of titles is never enough to be able to call oneself the greatest of all time, because so much more is expected of sporting icons.
Muhammad Ali did not become great by sporting a fancy wristwatch during a trophy ceremony. Nor did he gain notoriety by sticking to the rules and living up to the ideals expounded by the status quo and the media.
Perhaps it is unfair to expect someone who spends the majority of his life hitting little yellow balls to have too much of an opinion on the world outside of the tennis bubble, but the fact that the likes of Naomi Osaka manage it means that this may be something that holds Djokovic back in the GOAT stakes. After all, Sampras was more successful than Agassi, but who do people remember more? Björn Borg squandered much of his talent and yet is arguably more popular today than most of his former peers. Having said all that, neither Nadal nor Federer go out of their way to break from the mold.
Yes – Season Grand Slams Were Once Thought Impossible
Perhaps the most compelling reason for Djokovic being the GOAT is that completing the grand slam set in the space of one season has historically been seen as impossible. This was always mainly due to there being players who were dominant on certain surfaces, like Rafa on clay or the Williams sisters on grass.
However, Djokovic is a player who has blown those assumptions to pieces, adapting his game to the point that it performs as well on the green grass of Wimbledon as it does on the scorching hard courts of the Aussie Open. No other player other than perhaps Serena Williams has managed such all-court dominance, and for that alone Djokovic should be considered the GOAT, but only if he notches that all-important US Open 2021 triumph.
No – The fans have the final say
Each of the top three players in men’s tennis has obsessive fan bases, all of whom would never dream of betting against their chosen idol.
Unfortunately for Djokovic, he is way behind Nadal and Federer in the popularity stakes, largely due to his seemingly cardboard personality. It would probably be best to stop trying to prove he is a nice guy and just do what he does best – grinding the opposition into the dirt.
Djokovic in Tokyo, ranking, and results in 2021
Now the world no.1, Djokovic has managed to achieve a 36-3 match record in 2021. The Serbian is currently having a run in Tokyo where he beat Hugo Dellien 6-2 6-2 and Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 6-3.
Novak Djokovic will square off with the world no.34 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the 3rd round on Wednesday at 3:00 pm on Centre Court. Their current head to head is 1-0 for Djokovic.
Djokovic clinched 4 titles in 2021 at the Australian Open, in Belgrade, at the French Open and in Wimbledon. The Serbian was the finalist in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia).
The Serbian won 85 titles in his career: 48 on hard courts, 17 on clay courts, 13 on indoor courts and 7 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Novak Djokovic |
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