Novak Djokovic is currently the player with most Grand Slam titles won, and that's one of the reasons why famous tennis coach Rick Macci is not afraid to call him the greatest of all time.
Only recently, the Serbian superstar had 20 Grand Slam titles, while his main rival, Rafael Nadal, already had 22 in his collection. Fast forward to now, Djokovic has 24 majors, more than any of his rivals.
With the 2024 season right around the corner, renowned tennis coach, and former coach of sisters Serena and Venus Williams, Rick Macci, spoke exclusively to Tennis Infinity, sharing his views also about Novak Djokovic.
According to Macci, it's incredible to see Djokovic so motivated late in his career, and at the same time, he's not afraid to proclaim the Serbian the greatest of all time (GOAT) since he trusts numbers.
"In my opinion, I judge everything with the eyeball test, and then the numbers. The numbers don't lie, and my eyes don't lie because I've done this for a long time. Nothing against [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal, I mean they're great champions and they're right in there, but he's separated himself."
Numbers say that no one has ever won more Grand Slam titles, and no one has ever won more ATP Masters 1000 titles. On top of that, no one has ever spent more weeks as the world no. 1, but it's the hunger that impresses the 68-year-old coach.
"So am I ready to proclaim Djokovic the goat? Absolutely. He separated himself from everybody. And he's not done yet. And I think that's what impresses everybody, it's the hunger and he still wants to go out there and win titles."
According to Macci, age is just a number, and it's about how Djokovic feels on the tennis court. The experience coach explains that to beat Djokovic in three out of five sets may still be an impossible task for many, and the results in 2023 prove him right, because 27 out of 28 players didn't do it on Grand Slam level.
"He's not going undefeated, but you got to beat him in 3 out of 5 sets, I think is a slippery slope for anybody. Just because you're getting older, that's a number. It's how you feel and how you take care of your body."
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