MELBOURNE, Australia – It is inevitable that Novak Djokovic will play tennis at Rod Laver Arena.
It’s a feeling that no matter what year we’re in, who’s on the other side of the net, and how lopsided the crowd’s support may be in favor of his opponent, it’s still Djokovic who prevails will.
Djokovic, 35, did just that for the 28th consecutive time at Melbourne Park on Sunday night. The Serb defeated third-placed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) to secure a record Australian Open title as the 10th title that tied him with rival Rafael Nadal for most equals major titles (22) in men’s tennis – the pair have surpassed longtime leader Roger Federer at 20.
As Djokovic hugged each member of his player box and before he could lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup aloft, an intimate discussion began to circulate. Who is Tennis’ GOAT? And while it’s nigh impossible to answer that definitively until the Big Three era has officially ended, there’s no doubt that Djokovic’s fortnight Down Under has once again put his nose to the front.
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Federer has now hung up his racquet and Nadal faces another injury-related layoff. Meanwhile, here’s Djokovic winning slams. At the start of the tournament he said “I know I’m in the last quarter of my career” and while that may be true his tennis would suggest he’s far from done. In fact, what he’s displayed in Melbourne over the past fortnight while battling a nagging hamstring isn’t too far removed from Djokovic at the peak of his power.
For the third time in his career, Djokovic lost just one set en route to a title at the Australian Open. He humiliated local hero Alex de Minaur in the fourth round, repeated the dose against fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals, and crossed American Tommy Paul in a one-sided semifinal.
World No. 4 Tsitsipas was to be his biggest challenge but he passed that test with ease, repeating the result of the 2021 French Open final. He kept the unforced errors low while hitting the ball from behind the baseline and tracked everything Tsitsipas sent over the web. As always, Djokovic found an extra gear when the situation called for it. Two tiebreaks? No problem.
“I did everything possible. There is nothing I could have gotten more out of. Novak is a player who pushes you to your limits,” said a disappointed Tsitsipas after the final. “I think he’s the greatest person who’s ever held a tennis racket. The numbers speak for themselves. He earned it with so much dedication and professionalism.”
An exceptional and unprecedented second leg is what has made Djokovic such a force on the ATP Tour for 15 years. At that tournament, he had more return winners than any other player and was the only man to win over 40% of first serve points and 60% of second serve points on returns.
But it was perhaps his serving that caught the eye the most. Djokovic led the field in service won (94%), ranked in the top 10 for points won on first serve and held 79% of break points. He was broken just once in 17 games in the finals.
“To be honest, it was one of the best tennis I’ve ever played on this court,” explained Djokovic after the match, referring to his breathtaking fortnight at Melbourne Park. “I would put it right there. Maybe the best two, three of all time at Slams.”
So Djokovic now sits at 22. But whether your allegiance is with Federer, Nadal or Djokovic, there’s no denying that the Serb’s number of Slam wins over the last 30 months could have been significantly higher if not that pandemic and some polarizing personal decisions.
He missed an opportunity to defend his Wimbledon title in 2020 when the event was canceled due to COVID-19. Sure, the title wasn’t a certainty, but he hasn’t lost a match at Wimbledon since 2017.
Two months later, Djokovic was sensationally banned from the US Open after hitting a linesman with a ball in his fourth-round match. Again, there’s no guarantee he would have lifted the silver, but with several of his main rivals sitting out for various reasons – notably Nadal and Federer – few were brave enough to decide against him.
And in 2022 he was unable to compete in either the Australian Open or the US Open because his COVID-19 vaccination status did not allow him to legally enter either country.
Djokovic was or would have been the clear favorite in all four majors. Even if he played it conservatively, he probably would have added at least two more to his total. Had one of them been last year’s Australian Open, he could very easily sit on 25 and lead Nadal’s 21 after his recent triumph. An insurmountable gap.
But enough of the hypotheses. The reality is Djokovic and Nadal are suspended at 22-22. Still, it’s an advantage, Djokovic.
Djokovic has now won five of the last seven Majors he has competed in – his two failures in the 2021 US Open final and the 2022 French Open quarterfinals – and by any logical metric he is the undisputed best player in the world. Heck, we’re not even 18 months away from him finishing a game behind the coveted calendar slam.
Meanwhile, Nadal, 36, is expected to miss up to two months of tennis after suffering a degree 2 iliopsoas injury during his straight set loss in the second round to American Mackenzie McDonald. But even before the injury, the Spaniard was in the midst of perhaps the biggest slump in form of his professional career. Some prominent figures in the sport doubt he will ever return to anything close to his best.
“[Nadal’s loss to McDonald] was the first step towards retirement,” said tennis star Boris Becker on Eurosport Germany’s Matchball Becker show. “An injury like that is tough and at this age it takes even longer to get back into shape. I think his days are numbered.”
In contrast, Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanišević believes his man can continue playing at elite level for the foreseeable future.
“The way he takes care of his body and everything… two to three years for sure,” Ivanišević explained after the final. “The guy is amazing. I don’t know how to put it into words.”
Djokovic also says he doesn’t have his eyes on the finish line yet.
“I’m motivated to win as many Slams as possible,” he said. “At this point in my career, those trophies are the biggest motivating factor why I keep competing. I really don’t want to stop here. I have no intention of stopping here.
“I know that when I feel good physically and mentally, I have a chance to win any Slam against anyone. Of course 35 isn’t 25, even if I want to believe it, but I still feel like there’s still time ahead of me. Let’s see how far I get.”
While Djokovic is the favorite to end his career with the most men’s Grand Slam titles, that shouldn’t be the only measure used when considering GOAT in tennis.
Djokovic also owns the men’s records for most weeks as world No. 1 player (373) and most Masters 1000 titles (38), and he has accumulated more prize money than anyone in the sport. He has amassed the most ATP Player of the Year awards (seven) and is tied with Federer for most ATP Finals wins (six). Think of just about every men’s tennis record, and Djokovic’s name is usually at the top of the list.
Another factor in Djokovic’s favor is his track record against his two big rivals. He leads the Nadal head-to-head 30-29 and Federer 27-23.
The GOAT debate in tennis will continue for years to come. decades likely. Some will say Federer, some will say Nadal. Others will argue Serena Williams or Margaret Court. But if no one ever hits a tennis ball again, you’d be hard pressed not to have Djokovic at the top of the stack.