IvanLjubicic expressed his opinion that Novak Djokovic is not the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) despite his impressive numbers, and he backed Roger Federer for that title.
The former tennis player joined the long-running GOAT discussion, which has had fans debating the greatest player in tennis history for years. The main contenders in this debate are the BIG-3: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who hold the record for Grand Slam titles, far ahead of other players.
Ljubicic, who retired from professional tennis in 2012 at age 33, worked with Federer for the latter part of his career, contributing to Federer’s successes in 2017 and 2018 with the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles.
In a recent statement, Ljubicic shared his views on who should be considered the GOAT of tennis:
“For me, the best is the tennis player who has most influenced the sport he plays. Novak Djokovic is the most successful tennis player, all the statistics are on his side, but there is a difference between that and being the greatest. Michael Jordan was not the most successful, but everyone considers him the greatest.
“We don’t have to agree, but what Djokovic is doing doesn’t overshadow what RogerFederer did.”
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Commenting specifically on the Serb, he acknowledged that he never expected him to become a 23-time Grand Slam champion:
“Djokovic… I am impressed by his determination, the fire in his eyes.
“His stubbornness in always wanting more and the way he exploits negative energies. He is always looking for balance, every day. Sometimes he is looking for love from people; other times, however, he wants hate: he is always looking for ways to motivate himself. I admit I never thought I would see him win 23 Grand Slams:
“When he was playing on the junior circuit, he came to Riccardo Piatti’s academy. Obviously he was talented: he moved well and was very agile. But technically he was mediocre.
“His backhand was good, but his forehand had problems and his serve had a lot of room for improvement. At that time I didn’t expect him to win so much,” Ljubicic concluded.
Ljubicic won 10 titles in his career, including Indian Wells 2010, where he defeated second seed Novak Djokovic, defending champion Nadal, and defeated Andy Roddick in the final.
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2023-07-20 23:11:53
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