The world of tennis has produced countless superstars over the years, with the likes of the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic dominating the men’s game in the Open Era. After becoming the record Grand Slam winner, is Djokovic now the best of all time?
Can Djokovic be Stopped?
Djokovic is gunning for a fifth Wimbledon title in a row. The sensational Serb has been the favourite to win the 2023 edition even before a ball was struck, and the reigning champion has impressed in SW19 so far. The Serbian is looking for a third Grand Slam victory of the season after wins in Melbourne and Paris. Looking at the latest odds on men’s Wimbledon, Djokovic is the 8/15 favourite to lift the trophy.
He has been in excellent form in London, beating the likes of Pedro Cachin, Jordan Thompson, Stan Wawrinka, and Hubert Hurkacz in the early rounds. Andrey Rublev gave him a scare in the quarterfinals, as the Russian took the first set. However, Djokovic bounced back to win by three sets to one.
Djokovic Breaks the Grand Slam Record
2023 has already been an exceptional year for Djokovic. He made a winning return to Melbourne at the start of the year. Victory at the Australian Open equalled Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam record of 22 wins.
Djokovic then broke the record with a tournament win in Paris in June. On the way to the French Open final, the Serbian star saw off the likes of Marton Fucsovics and Karen Khachanov. He won the final in straight sets to get his hands on a 23rd major trophy.
In terms of outright wins, Djokovic is already the greatest men’s player of all time. In his illustrious career, which kicked off professionally in 2003, he has won 10 Australian Opens, three French Open titles and three US Opens. He has also lifted the Wimbledon trophy seven times. Djokovic will move on to 24 Grand Slam wins if he goes all the way in London this year.
Djokovic’s stunning record will take some beating. The great Federer won 20 Grand Slam titles, but the Swiss packed away his racket in 2022, with his last Grand Slam success coming in 2018 (Australian Open).
Nadal, who sits second on the all-time list, is Djokovic’s main rival these days. The Spaniard held the record before the start of this season but now trails Djokovic by one ahead of the conclusion of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
It has been a tough season for Nadal. He lost his Australian Open title by suffering a straight-set second-round loss to Californian Mackenzie McDonald. He was then forced to withdraw from the French Open and Wimbledon due to injury. Nadal will be hoping to be fit in time for the US Open, which begins in late August.
Djokovic is one of the greatest players of all time, arguably the best. Alongside Federer and Nadal, he has dominated the sport for the last two decades, and there could be many more Grand Slam wins to come for the superb Serb.
