Former tennis player Janko Tipsarevic claimed that Novak Djokovic had established himself as the greateast in the sport a long time ago. The Serb reckons that the World No. 1 is on his way to being the greatest athlete of all time.
Djokovic beat Casper Ruud at the 2023 French Open to become the first player in the history of men's tennis to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles. The Serbian is now tied with Serena Williams for the the most number of singles Grand Slams won in the Open Era. With the win at Roland Garros, the 36-year-old surpassed Rafael Nadal in terms of Grand Slam wins and has three Grand Slams more than Roger Federer. Federer retired from tennis late last year, while Nadal is highly unlikely to play beyond the 2024 season.
Tipsarevic took to social media to laud Djokovic's achievements as an athlete. The 38-year-old claimed that the much-discussed debate about the GOAT of tennis was long won by Djokovic. The two-time US Open quarterfinalist opined that the beyond the realm of tennis, Djokovic was "slowly fulfilling his destiny" as the greatest athlete of all time.
"As I mentioned, The silly tennis GOAT comparisons were over 2 years ago. The real point should be, when you take everything in to consideration, Records, Peek, Longevity…is that @djokernole is fulfilling his destiny as the Greatest Athlete Of All Time," Tipsarevic wrote on Twitter.
Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and the tennis world congratulated Novak Djokovic after his historic Roland Garros win
Novak Djokovic's recent historic win at the French Open earned him plaudits from many tennis icons, who took to social media to congratulate the Serb.
Long-time rival Rafael Nadal took to twitter to congratulate the 36-year-old.
"Many congrats on this amazing achievement, Novak Djokovic. 23 is a number that just a few years back was imposible to think about, and you made it! Enjoy it with your family and team!" Nadal wrote on Twitter.
Serena Williams also sent her congratulations to the Serbian, who joins her in winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
"Congrats @djokernole," she wrote on her Instagram story.
18-time Grand Slam winner Chris Evert also congratulated the World No. 1 on twitter. The American heaped praise on the Serbian and claimed that she had never seen anyone like him.
"Over the past 50 years, I’ve seen and studied every champion in tennis. I have never seen anyone like Novak Djokovic. The combination of mental, physical, and emotional strength that goes into every shot is unmatched. Time to really appreciate this man," Evert tweeted.
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