Novak Djokovic is enjoying one of the best careers in the history of tennis, but whether his career is the best is up for debate, even according to the man himself.
The 'GOAT debate' has been a very popular topic over the past few years, and that's mostly because of one simple reason and that's the fact that Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer will all end their tennis careers in the coming years, with the Swiss player already doing that last year.
With their achievements, trophies, and, most importantly, Grand Slams counted, and not many more to be added compared to how many they have accumulated until now, many fans are ready to give a verdict about the greatest of all time (GOAT).
However, there's one problem about the 'GOAT debate', and that's the fact that it's highly subjective. Everyone can take a different metric for what it means to be the greatest ever, whether it's Grand Slams won, legacy left behind, or anything else.
That's why, during a recent interview with Jon Wertheim, published by Sports Illustrated, Djokovic said that he doesn't know if he'll ever get to "win the GOAT debate."
"I don't know if I’ll ever win the GOAT debate because there’s obviously different definitions and opinions and comparing the eras. Whether you take only numbers or stats, it’s very difficult to compare obviously an era where you play with a wooden racket and nowadays."
The 36-year-old is aware that the topic is highly subjective, and on top of that, the 'GOAT' doesn't even have to come from this era, and it doesn't have to be Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Roger Federer.
Many years before, the sport looked differently, and players didn't have opportunities as they have today, and potentially, there could have been a "greater" tennis player, who never got to fully shine because of the logistical problems.
"And where they couldn’t travel by plane before so much, and we can travel anywhere today and play more tournaments. So it’s all very relative. But, for me to try to get the most out of my last years of my professional career."
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