After Rafael Nadal called Novak Djokovic “the best in history,” Carlos Alcaraz offered his opinions on the ongoing discussion on who the greatest tennis player of all time is.
Although Carlos Alcaraz acknowledged that Djokovic is unique “at the level of numbers,” the two-time Grand Slam winner said that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and the Serbian are all “the best.”
Djokovic has won the most Grand Slams, Masters 1000 titles, and ATP Finals crowns of any male tennis player in history, making him the most successful by practically all meaningful metrics. The 36-year-old has also achieved the greatest number of ATP year-end No. 1 finishes and the most weeks as the world No. 1 player.
In a recent interview with El Objetivo, Nadal discussed Djokovic’s public persona and gave credit to his fiercest opponent, saying, “The image he projects is worse than what he really is.”
Despite his errors, he is a decent man. But he’s not as bad as he appears. In my opinion, when an extremely successful person has to project…
“Novak breaks his racket, but he’s 100% the following time, which is why he’s the most successful player in our sport’s history. He is the greatest player in history—the stats don’t lie.
Alcaraz was asked if he thought the GOAT argument was finished in an interview with Marca prior to his appearance at the Rio Open this week. This was in response to Nadal’s remarks.
Everybody sees the world in a different way. Some people believe Djokovic to be the greatest, while others believe Rafa or Federer to be the best. The world No. 2 stated, “Rafa stated that it is Djokovic at the level of numbers and I also think so.”
Without a question, Djokovic is the greatest player in history when it comes to statistics. I believe that determining who is the best requires considerations beyond just statistics. There are three of them, and in my opinion, those three are the greatest.
The 20-year-old Spaniard talked about how far he has to go before reaching his peak after being forced to withdraw from his Rio opening round match because of an ankle ailment.
“I don’t think I’m far away, but I still have to get to that level that I’ve demonstrated numerous times in tennis as well as confidence and knowing when to handle certain situations,” Alcaraz said.