Paul Annacone, former coach of Roger Federer and tennis analyst, has weighed in on the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate, declaring Novak Djokovic as the top player over Federer and Rafael Nadal.

On the Tennis Channel Live podcast, Annacone described Federer as “Picasso with a tennis racket,” acknowledging his artistry and groundbreaking contributions to the sport. However, he ranked Federer third behind Nadal, who holds second place in Annacone’s view. The deciding factor for the GOAT title, according to Annacone, lies in Djokovic’s head-to-head superiority against both Federer and Nadal and his extended dominance at the highest level.

Annacone explained: “At number one, for the same reason as Jim Courier, just look at the H2Hs. Djokovic has just been a little bit better than the other two for a longer period.”

While Federer and Nadal faced injury challenges that curtailed their later careers, Djokovic has maintained a remarkable level of consistency, even at age 37. Despite not winning a Grand Slam in 2024—a first since 2017—Djokovic claimed the elusive Olympic gold medal for Serbia.

Heading into the 2025 season, Djokovic has teamed up with Andy Murray as his coach and aims for his 11th Australian Open title. Annacone’s assessment underscores Djokovic’s unparalleled career longevity and competitive edge over his legendary rivals.

Novak Djokovic in 2024

At the moment ranked no.7, Djokovic played his last match on the 13^th of October when he lost to world no.1 Jannik Sinner 7-6(4) 6-3 in the final in Shanghai (draw).

At present, during this year Djokovic has a composed 37-9 match record. The Serbian has won 1 title in Paris. The Serbian reached the final in Wimbledon and Shanghai.

He is also scheduled to play in Brisbane (Brisbane International). The main draw will start on the 1st of January.