Novak Djokovic is the 'king of all' and one of the greatest athletes ever: Ronnie O'Sullivan

Novak Djokovic has been hailed as the "king of all" in tennis' GOAT race by snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan. The British snooker great expressed his admiration for the Serbian tennis legend and his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but feels that the Serb is not just the best tennis player ever but one of the greatest athletes ever.

The Serb is currently tied with Nadal on 22 Grand Slam singles titles and the duo will resume their rivalry at the French Open in May-June. The current World No. 1, who is searching for his 94th career title at the Monte-Carlo Masters this week, has long been an inspiration for O'Sullivan.

Speaking to Eurosport in a recent interview, O'Sullivan expressed his admiration for men's tennis' Big 3, before showering high praise on the Serbian star, who he believes is an inspiration for athletes across sports.

"Federer, Nadal, Djokovic - I've always loved watching them. They are the three best players of all time," Ronnie O'Sullivan said.

"To me he will be the king of all," O'Sullivan said of the Serb. "It doesn't matter if you're a footballer, golfer or hockey player - everyone looks at Djokovic. He is one of the greatest athletes of all time."

This is not the first time that O'Sullivan has expressed his admiration for the Serbian great, hailing his winning mentality last year.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan wishes he can emulate Novak Djokovic

The Serbian star in action at the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships.

Ronnie O'Sullivan further expressed his desire to emulate Novak Djokovic's abilities on a tennis court on the snooker table. Being a tennis fan himself, O'Sullivan also shared his views on the life of a pro tennis player, which he feels is difficult. At the same time, he feels top players get to play at some 'amazing' venues.

"I wish I could do at the table what Djokovic does on the court," said O'Sullivan. "The life of a tennis pro is tough. But when you're at the top...the places they play are amazing."

The ongoing Monte-Carlo Masters is the 10-time Australian Open champion's first tournament since the Dubai Tennis Championships in February. He was forced to miss Indian Wells and the Miami Open due to the prevalent vaccine mandate in the United States. He is the top seed in Monte-Carlo. where he last won the title in 2015. The 35-year-old could face Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals and Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals.