After avoiding it previously, Toni Nadal finally called Novak Djokovic the best, admitting that he probably is after his most recent triumph at the 2023 US Open.
Toni Nadal has always been kind of reserved when asked who the best player is. He advocated for all of them at different times, explaining the subtle differences rather well. This time around, Nadal was pretty clear in his message that Novak Djokovic right now is probably the best.
He leads the Grand Slam race with 24 after winning the US Open recently, two ahead of his nephew Rafael Nadal and four ahead of Roger Federer. He's back to number one and will extend his record as most weeks spent, and that's only two things in the long list of things that he has over the other two players.
Speaking to El Desmarque, Nadal admitted that, in his mind, Federer played at a higher level at times, but Djokovic is probably the best overall considering the numbers.
Djokovic is a great champion and it will be very difficult to reach him, not only for my nephew, but for anyone. It's very difficult to determine who is the best in history…you have to opt for Djokovic because the titles support him.
Although I think [Roger] Federer has sometimes managed to play at an even higher level, I think in the world of sport if we go by the numbers, Djokovic is without a doubt the best.
It's a rather sensible take from Toni Nadal who fully understands the gravity of the numbers. You can't dismiss him, and you can't really downplay them either. The numbers paint a clear picture and that's that Djokovic is the greatest player of all time.
Whether somebody surpasses him or whether he's your favourite player is another question, but numbers don't lie. He has the numbers.
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