Tennis

Former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka names greatest female and male players in tennis

Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion and former World No. 1, once spoke at length about her opinion on the 'greatest of all time' debate.

Victoria Azarenka, former World No. 1, revealed her choices in the GOAT debate
© Daniel Pockett/Getty ImagesVictoria Azarenka, former World No. 1, revealed her choices in the GOAT debate

Former World No. 1 and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka is one of the most vocal tennis players. The Belarusian star is always sharing her opinions on her X (formerly Twitter) account, but in 2023, she gave an extensive response to the question of who are the players, male and female, who had the “greatest” impact in the sport.

Speaking to Simon Jordan in his podcast “Up Front,” she said that Serena and Venus Williams were her choices from the women’s side, while Novak Djokovic was her choice from the men’s side.

On the Williams sisters Azarenka said, “They changed the game to become more powerful, more athletic. Serena is just, mentally so strong, like breaking every door in front of you. So their legacy is very, very strong.”

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Speaking of Venus’ commitment to keep playing at the highest level, she added: “If you look at her matches, look at her practice, she really loves it. She really enjoys it [… ] It’s quite incredible for me to see.”

Serena and Venus Williams during the 2022 US Open (Elsa/Getty Images)

Serena and Venus Williams during the 2022 US Open (Elsa/Getty Images)

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Azarenka had a great rivalry with both Williams sisters. Against Serena, she won five matches of 23, including their last Grand Slam encounter at the 2020 US Open semifinals. Meanwhile, she won three of her six matches against Venus.

Former World No.1 chooses the greatest player between Federer, Nadal and Djokovic

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Azarenka says Djokovic ‘doesn’t get the credit’ he deserves

When it came to analyzing the men’s side, Azarenka said that Djokovic “doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.” However, she explained the difference between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and the Serbian.

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Roger just, you know, he’s elegant, and incredible, like [his] talent. I think he’s the most talented from the ‘Big 3,” Azarenka explained. “Rafa, he is just a fighter full of heart, and Novak is just, I mean, his mind. I don’t think any athlete I’ve seen is like that.”

“Some of the criticism, I think he brings on himself. He just does, but you have to respect that [what] he believes in, he stands by. He doesn’t waver from it. I can agree, I can disagree with that but his mind is just so disciplined. I think he really doesn’t get enough credit,” she said.

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Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Azarenka said that Djokovic’s discipline is “very Eastern European, the character.” She also said that while the Serbian has been painted “a villain” so many times, he had to fight a “double standard.”

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“I think for him to maintain a good image, he needed to do so much more than Rafa and Roger. I mean in my eyes, and probably in many people’s eyes, Roger could do no wrong, Rafa could do no wrong […] He’s always climbing uphill,” she said.

She stunned Martina Hingis to win the French Open, but never reached a Grand Slam final again

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Azarenka defended Djokovic amid Australian Open’s controversy

During the 2025 Australian Open, Channel Nine reporter Tony Jones caused controversy when he mocked Djokovic, calling him “overrated.” The Serbian didn’t take the comments lightly, and refused to speak with the network. Azarenka was one of the players who weighed in, defending the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

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“The audacity to call Novak Djokovic overrated by a reporter is just insane. The guy literally completed tennis by winning everything you can in our sport! she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Serbia’s Davis Cup coach Viktor Troicki spoke with Bolavip about Djokovic’s treatment in Australia, defending him from accusations of faking an injury. Djokovic couldn’t win his 11th trophy in Melbourne, after having to retire due to a hamstring injury during his semifinals match against Alexander Zverev.

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While Djokovic’s career has been filled with different controversies, the Serbian’s numbers and work ethic have put him ahead of the “greatest of all time” debate. Whether people love him or hate him.

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