In the GOAT debate, it is undeniable that Novak Djokovic has gotten the upper hand over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Serbian star has won 24 Grand Slam titles so far, has more Masters 1000 titles (40) and dominates their head-to-head. However, according to Partick Mouratoglou, coach of Naomi Osaka and former coach of Serena Williams, he had the most “mediocre” tennis out of the Big Three.
“When you look at Djokovic’s tennis at nineteen, at no point can you think he’s going to become what he is today,” said Mouratoglou while speaking on the podcast Bartoli Time (via tennis365). “And even today, if you’re really observant, he’s a player compared to the other two, it’s terrible to say that, but he’s almost mediocre. He does everything very well, but he doesn’t really have any strong shots,” he said.
However, he credited the Serbian’s strong mentality for putting him ahead of Federer and Nadal. “There was nothing in his tennis that would make people think he could become nearly half of what he became, but mentally his self-belief, his ambition, his attention to detail made him the greatest whole,” he added.
Mouratoglou’s words might be surprising now, but it’s true that Djokovic was underestimated when he was younger. Even Federer once admitted that he didn’t respect it when he first broke through on the ATP Tour. “I played him in Monaco the very first time and I walked off the court and thought, ‘Yeah, he’s OK’, ” Federer revealed in his documentary, Twelve Final Days.
Novak Djokovic during the Miami Open (Getty Images)
“Even though there was some hype around him, I wasn’t really fully convinced. I think I didn’t give Novak the respect he deserved because of his technical flaws. I felt like Novak had a very extreme forehand grip and his backhand for me wasn’t as fluid as it is nowadays. But then he ironed those things out super well and became an unbelievable monster of a player,” the Swiss legend added.
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Apart from winning the most majors singles titles of the Open Era, Djokovic has other stunning records, such as being the man with the most weeks ranked as World No. 1 (428). He also completed the career Golden Slam by winning gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
In head-to-head against Federer and Nadal, Djokovic also came out on top: 27-23 win record against Swiss, as well as a 31-29 record against the Spaniard. The Serbian is still active and he is looking for his 100th professional title.
However, his 2025 season hasn’t been his best. After having to pull out of the Australian Open semifinals due to a muscle injury, the Serbian has only reached a final this season (Miami, lost to Jakub Mensik). Ahead of the French Open, he is set to play in Geneva.
