Novak Djokovic will break Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slams if he wins the 2024 US Open, but Rennae Stubbs does not think he needs to do this to be considered the best player ever.
Djokovic is preparing for the US Open after winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Unsurprisingly, he took a break after that phenomenal achievement and did not play at the Canadian or Cincinnati Open.
The Serbian took part in fan week at Flushing Meadows. That included playing an exhibition match alongside John McEnroe. After a thoroughly enjoyable contest, Djokovic and McEnroe defeated Carlos Alcaraz and Andre Agassi.
He also practiced alongside the 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro. Djokovic had some epic matches against the Argentine during his career, and fans were thrilled to see them hitting together.
The 37-year-old's attention will now turn to the serious business of preparing for his opening match after the US Open men's draw took place on Thursday. Djokovic starts his campaign against Radu Albot.
Many fans and analysts question how much motivation the Serbian still has after finally winning the Olympic gold he craved for so long. Chris Evert thinks Djokovic will retire if he wins a 25th major in New York.
Some believe Djokovic must secure a 25th Grand Slam title and break Margaret Court's record to be considered the greatest player ever. These people argue the total number of majors is the best way to judge a player.
Serena Williams' former coach, Stubbs, disagrees with that view. Speaking on the Rennae Stubbs Podcast, the Australian said Djokovic will be motivated to achieve a record he does not have, but she does not think his doing that influences the debate about who is the greatest.
"So do I think he's going to be up to win the US Open? Absolutely. Because that's the one record that he still doesn't have. I tend to think that's dumb. I don't think he needs to win another Grand Slam to say, I'm truly the greatest male or female."
Stubbs also made a humorous remark that downplayed how big breaking Court's record would be by mentioning that Court won 10 Australian Open titles during a time when few top players competed at the event.
"He has one thing left and that is the ultimate Grand Slam major record at 25. Because we've got the old, you know, move the goalpost Margaret Court at 24, who won like 10 Australian Opens when nobody played. But he wants that record."
The Australian makes a reasonable point. Although Court deserves immense respect for what she achieved, the tennis landscape is very different now. It is fair to argue that winning 24 Grand Slams is far more difficult in today's game.
That reality is why many fans and analysts consider Serena Williams the most outstanding female player ever, even though she narrowly missed out on equaling Court's record by ending her career with 23 Grand Slam titles. The American legend faced competition like her sister Venus Williams and Justine Henin.
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