"It's remarkable that Novak Djokovic has been able to track down Federer & Nadal and leapfrog them in several vital categories"

Having beaten Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals of the Paris Masters on Saturday, Novak Djokovic is guaranteed to finish as the year-end World No. 1 for a record-breaking seventh time. The Serb has now gone past childhood hero Pete Sampras' tally of six year-end No. 1 finishes.

When it comes to the No. 1 ranking, Djokovic also holds the record for most weeks spent at the top spot (345 and counting). The 34-year-old overtook Roger Federer's tally of 310 weeks earlier in 2021.

In that context, former World No. 1 Jim Courier believes that the No. 1 records are "undervalued". According to Courier, Djokovic's time at the top shows how dominant he has been in an era where Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have also been active.

While speaking on Tennis Channel, the four-time Major champion pointed out that a lot of emphasis is often placed on the number of Slams won by a player and not enough on the records related to the No. 1 ranking.

"I've been focused as I've watched this race develop between these three incredible champions still at it, the weeks at No. 1," Courier said. "I think that that's an under-valued asset as far as achievement goes. There’s too much weight put on the number of Majors, but weeks at No. 1 really speaks to the body of work, especially when you factor in that these three champions, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, are all doing it largely at the same time."

Jim Courier went on to claim that Novak Djokovic has done phenomenally well to match and get past Federer and Nadal's records, given that he came on tour well after his two rivals.

"It's so remarkable that Novak has been able to track these guys down and now leapfrog them in a number of vital categories, seven-times year-end No. 1 and running away with the weeks at No. 1 as well," Courier added.

"I hope we'll be as lucky to have Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal play until they’re 40, like we have with Roger Federer" - Jim Courier

Jim Courier hopes Novak Djokovic will play till he's 40

Jim Courier further opined that Novak Djokovic is likely to be choosy about his schedule in coming seasons, so that he can prolong his career and claim more records. Courier also expressed his desire to see both Djokovic and Nadal in action for as long as Roger Federer has been playing.

"I think he'll (Djokovic) pick his spots to get 4-, 5-, 6-week breaks like we've seen," Courier said. "That’s what extended Federer’s career so beautifully too. Federer picked his spots and played sparingly from a young age."