"Being the best ever doesn't necessarily mean you're the greatest ever" - Liam Broady reacts to Dominic Thiem's GOAT debate assessment

A couple of days ago, Dominic Thiem remarked that the number of Grand Slam titles will decide who ends up as the GOAT in men's tennis. In response, Liam Broady has now suggested that being statistically the best is different from being the greatest ever.

The Big 3 — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic — share a total of 64 Slams between them. While Federer has retired with 20 titles, Nadal and Djokovic are still in the race with 22 crowns each.

Djokovic won the 2023 Australian Open a few days ago and regained the top spot in the ATP rankings.

In a recent conversation with Punto de Break, 2020 US Open champion Thiem stated that whichever player won the most Slams would be the greatest of all time.

"In my opinion, Grand Slam titles should be the defining criteria when determining the best of all time, they are the four most important tournaments in tennis," Thiem said. "Everything else is fine, but it's not the same. The Slams are what counts, so the GOAT will probably be the one with the most Grand Slams."

Reacting to Thiem's comments, Broady brought up another GOAT debate, between two of the world's best boxers ever — Floyd Mayweather and Muhammad Ali. The Brit stated that the best player wouldn't necessarily be the greatest ever.

"Kind of like the Mayweather/Ali debate in boxing. I’d argue being The Best Ever does not necessarily mean you’re The Greatest Ever," Broady tweeted.

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Dominic Thiem says he wouldn't be playing tennis if he didn't believe he could return to his best

Dominic Thiem during the 2023 Australian Open

Dominic Thiem fought back from two sets down to defeat Alexander Zverev in the title clash at the 2020 US Open. However, the 29-year-old Austrian has struggled with severe injuries and poor form ever since.

In the 2023 Davis Cup qualifiers, his team lost 3-1 against Croatia and failed to reach the group stage. Thiem faced straight-set defeats against both Borna Gojo and Borna Coric.

But after the tie, the World No. 96 stated that he still believed he could achieve his top level. He also suggested that he would stop playing the day he stopped believing in himself.

"The belief is still there. Even if it's only there in a small way, it's there. And I'm sure it will get bigger again. And if it were gone, then I wouldn't be sitting here anymore, then I would stop and live a different life. But the faith is definitely there," Dominic Thiem said.