Novak Djokovic's former coach Boris Becker believes the Serbian star has earned the right to be placed in the same category as the best sportsmen in the world.
Djokovic, 36, was in sparkling form throughout 2023, playing in just 12 ATP events and winning seven titles. Remarkably, he played in all four Grand Slam finals, winning three and finishing a runner-up in the one he missed out on the top prize.
He is the only man in tennis history to win three of the four Grand Slams in the same season on four occasions (2011, 2015, 2021 & 2023). Additionally, Djokovic topped the prize money charts this season, amassing over $15 million.
Becker, who coached Djokovic to six Grand Slam wins between 2014 and 2016, called the World No. 1's Grand Slam feat in 2023 "out of this world", having been so close to a calendar-year Grand Slam at 36. In an episode of Eurosport Gemany's tennis podcast, he labeled him as the "lion king" as age was hardly a limiting factor to his success.
"For me, he is the lion king. We do our best to teach tennis fans what is impossible to teach: What this player has won in his 16 or 17-year career and that he is perhaps playing his best tennis at the age of 36."
"He has won three Grand Slam tournaments this year and reached the final at Wimbledon - he was close to the calendar Grand Slam at the age of 36. This is out of this world."
Becker then compared Djokovic to some of the greatest players outside the tennis landscape. The German great stated that Djokovic belongs to the same band of elite athletes who have surpassed expectations at their age.
The 56-year-old cited Argentina's football wizard Lionel Messi, NBA legend LeBron James and retired NFL great Tom Brady among the most dominant sportsmen even after they turned 30. Becker feels Djokovic is on par with these lot.
"Maybe you have to look at it more generally and he's not just the best tennis player at the moment, but the best sportsman. I want to compare him to a Lionel Messi, a LeBron James, and a Tom Brady - for me, that's the category Novak Djokovic is in because all these athletes are dominating or have dominated their sport even in their mid or late thirties."
"Djokovic does the same. I hope he continues to do so for a long time because nothing better can happen to young players than to compete on the same level as the most successful player of all time. That's the best lesson in tennis."
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