French coach Patrick Mouratoglou branded Novak Djokovic as the "best athlete" in light of his remarkable longevity and success in the final phase of his career.
In fact, Mouratologu tips the Serbian man, now 36, to play past the ripe old age of 40. Djokovic has established himself as the greatest tennis player of all time, boasting some mind-boggling numbers that his current contemporaries can only dream of.
Last month, he won a 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open, to extend his record as the undisputed leader among the men. It was his third major title of 2023, the first time a male player has won three of the four slams on four occasions.
At a time when most of Djokovic's longtime rivals have either retired or struggling to attain peak physical conditioning of their bodies, Djokovic has never been fitter. According to Mouratoglou, Djokovic's body is "extremely young" for someone of his age as he can cover the court dextrously and effortlessly.
One of Djokovic's biggest rivals Roger Federer retired from professional tennis at 41 in 2022, but the preceeding three years of his career were marked with persistent injuries and he was hardly able to maintain high fitness levels in a season or during matches.
The ex-coach of Serena Williams opined that as long as Djokovic avoids niggling injuries, he could still be on tour for many years. Mouratgolou mentioned how the Serb's discipline and self-drive have pushed him to become the benchmark when it comes to longevity.
"I haven't seen ever a player of 36 years old that is in that shape. The fact that he's incredibly serious and focused made him become the best athlete because I think he's the best athlete."
"I still think that he can go over 40. I'm not saying he's gonna do it because it's all also about motivation. Of course, he can get injured. Anyone can get injured. And I think his body is extremely young for his age. Extremely young. I mean, it's quite obvious. You see him move on the court."
"His court coverage, and his ability to recover, are the consequence of all his years of discipline, working every day with the best professionals and looking always for new techniques to improve."
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