"Mentally, physically and tennis-wise, Novak Djokovic is the best out there" - Marcos Baghdatis

Marcos Baghdatis believes Novak Djokovic is the best in all possible aspects, be it physically, mentally or tennis-wise. However, Baghdatis also reckons that Djokovic's mentality - which is often regarded as his biggest strength - can become an overwhelming force for the Serb.

Novak Djokovic is widely regarded as the GOAT of men's tennis. He is on the cusp of history at the US Open, where he can achieve two enormous tennis feats with a victory.

If Djokovic succeeds in winning the title at Flushing Meadows, he will become the first man since Rod Laver (1969) to complete the prestigious Calendar Year Grand Slam. Perhaps more notably, the Serb will also claim sole ownership of the record for most Slams with 21, overtaking Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

In that context, Marcos Baghdatis was asked if he would like to see Novak Djokovic complete the Calendar Slam and go past his two biggest rivals in the all-time leaderboard. The former Australian Open runner-up replied in the affirmative, asserting that he hopes Djokovic can pull off the feat given the incredible season he has been having.

"I hope he can do it, for him," Baghdatis said. "He is having an incredible season and I think he's just doing incredible."

Baghdatis went on to lavish rich praise on the World No. 1, calling him the "best" in all key facets of the game.

"How can he just change gears whenever he wants to? I think mentally, physically, and tennis-wise, he is the best out there," he added.

However, the 36-year-old pointed out that Novak Djokovic can often be his own biggest enemy due to his internal mental conflicts. Baghdatis believes the Serb's habit of investing a great deal of energy into the mental side of things sometimes backfires on him, as it did at last year's US Open and this year's Tokyo Olympics.

"With that said, the mental part of his game can be so strong, but at the same time it can ruin him," Baghdatis said. "We saw that in the Olympics and we saw that at last year's US Open. I think he's putting in so much energy and so much work on his mental aspect that sometimes, every now and again he has a burst of anger or frustration. I think it happens because he works so hard."

Novak Djokovic has everything to keep on playing for the next 5 years: Marcos Baghdatis

Novak Djokovic at the 2020 Australian Open

Marcos Baghdatis believes Novak Djokovic can carry on playing for another five years because of his attention to every detail of his well-being.

"He (Novak Djokovic) does everything off the court so well, from his nutrition to his fitness," Baghdatis said. "The guy has everything to keep on playing for the next five years."

The Cypriot reiterated that the Serb has a tendency to have emotional outbursts, but claimed that is "understandable".

"It's the mental side where he can sometimes have these bursts, but for me, it's really understandable," Baghdatis said.