"Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer & Serena Williams are not normal, there's a reason why they're the GOATs": Tennis analyst

Tennis Channel host Steve Weissman recently compared Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Serena Williams to the current crop of young top players on the ATP and the WTA Tours. The American beckoned fans to go easy on the latter group and not hold them to the excruciatingly high standards set by the 'Big 3' and Williams.

Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Williams are considered by many to be the four best tennis players of all time. While the first three have won 66 of the last 82 Major tournaments in men's tennis, the American established a similar level of dominance on the women's circuit, picking up 23 triumphs.

The quartet has been so successful at the biggest stage of the sport that many in the tennis community feel that budding young players should go above and beyond to emulate them. However, American analyst Steve Weissman is staunchly against that school of thought, if his recent comments on the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast is anything to go by.

Weissman stated that since Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Williams monopolized the big tournaments, their successors Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek — all of whom are not older than 22 years — are expected to do the same.

"We have been conditioned because of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams to believe that if you're at the top of the sport of tennis, you're expected to make the final every week," the Tennis Channel host said on the Inside-In podcast. "Or the semifinals every week. That is not normal. Those players are not normal. There's a reason why they are the GOATs."

"Going forward, whether it's Alcaraz, Sinner, Coco, Iga, or whoever's at the top of the game," he added. "They're not gonna win every match, and when they lose, it is not a shock to me because they are not the Big 3 and Serena. What they did is not normal!"

The 45-year-old then used Alcaraz to illustrate his point better. He claimed that the Spaniard is bound to drop some matches here and there, as he is only 20 and is yet to hit his physical prime.

"I knew we grew up in that, and that's how we've been conditioned in our minds," he added. "'Oh, you're 1 or 2 in the world, and you've won a Major, you better make the finals!' Alcaraz is 20 years old, he's 20! He's gonna lose matches, that doesn't make him not great."

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Novak Djokovic: "As long as I am able to win against Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner & Holger Rune on the big stage, I'll still keep going"

Jannik Sinner after beating Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open

With Serena Williams and Roger Federer already being out the door and Rafael Nadal also considering retirement this year, Novak Djokovic remains the only player in tennis with double-digit Major titles.

The Serb, however, is also not having it easy these days, having been outclassed by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in his Grand Slam meetings with them over the last year.

And while Djokovic has been all praises for the younger generation, he will admittedly 'hang on' for as long as he is in contention for the big titles.

"Rune, Alcaraz, and him (Sinner) are the next Big 3 if you want to call them, and they are going to carry the sport. I will hang on for as long as I feel like hanging on," Novak Djokovic said last November (via Eurosport).

"I think as long as I am able to win against them on the big stage, I'll still keep going because why stop when you're still winning the biggest titles?" he added. "But once they start to kick my butt, then yeah, I will consider, probably, having a little break or a permanent break from professional tennis."