After winning his 24th Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open and then completing the Golden Slam with the gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Novak Djokovic has been widely regarded as tennis’ greatest player of all time. However, the Serbian star recently shared his perspective on the debate while competing at the 2025 Miami Open.
“I’m very blessed to still be a part of this incredible sport,” he told Tennis Channel after his debut at the Miami Open. “All the champions that have paved the way for us have to be recognized. This whole GOAT debate…for me, it’s great to be part of it and in the mix, but it’s really hard to compare.”
He continued, “There’s just some incredible champions that have created the platform that we have today. Tennis of today is not just because of the last 10-15 years. It’s because of the last 100+ years, so we have to recognize the influence that all the champions had.”
The Serbian star even went on to talk about how “not so long ago” tennis was played with wooden racquets, and that many players didn’t travel to all the events, even in the 1990s and 2000s. “I remember working with Andre Agassi, when he was my coach. We were talking about how, in his time, he missed a lot of the Slams because he didn’t want to travel to Australia too early in the year; he wanted to prioritize time with family. It’s different.”
Djokovic won the 2024 Paris Olympics, completing the Golden Slam ( Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
While it’s hard to compare between eras, at least when it comes to the Big Three, Djokovic is ahead of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, both retired. At least, in numbers. Apart from Grand Slams titles, he also has the record in Weeks as World No. 1 (428) and Masters 1000 titles (40).
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Djokovic can still extend his legacy
As long as the Serbian keeps playing, he can add more records to his already impressive career. At the 2025 Miami Open, Djokovic has already reached the semifinals, in which he will play against Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov.
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With his latest victory over Sebastian Korda, Djokovic, according to OptaAces, became the the oldest player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, surpassing Roger Federer (37y 222d, Miami 2019).
