The former coach of Novak Djokovic, Nikola Pilic, considers the singles titles record of Jimmy Connors insignificant and not comparable to Djokovic's.
There are some interesting things in sport that can make a lot of sense but still be dismissed. For example, there are various records but they don't all carry the same weight.
It's not a tennis exclusive either, as it's the same in other sports. The late great Bill Russell has 11 NBA championships, which is by far the most, but it's the six of Michael Jordan that get all the attention.
The reason is simple: you can't compare eras, and that's true in tennis. Everything the Big Three achieved matters so much more, considering how advanced the sport is these days.
That's the argument the former coach of Novak Djokovic, Nikola Pilic, used when asked by Kurir what he thought of Jimmy Connor's 109 singles trophies won.
That's the most ever ahead of Federer, who is second with 103. Djokovic is close to both with 98 but will need to win to win a few more to unseat both. It's his goal on the ATP Tour in the coming years, but to Pilic, it doesn't matter much because Connor's 109 and Djokovic's 98 aren't comparable at all.
That record is not that important to me, it’s not something fun for me. I know Connors and beat him once in Philly, but he’s won 90% of his titles in the 250 series in America. The level of tennis then and today is not at all comparable. Tennis is much different, times have changed, but what speaks volumes is that Novak is the best in all six categories that count, and that’s what you see, the numbers say it all.
There is a lot of truth to what Pilic is saying because the eras truly are not comparable. What Djokovic and any tennis player do today is likely more difficult than the same achievement 30-40 years ago.
Even so, when you go to the record books, Connors has the number 1 next to his name, the same way Russell has his name ahead of Jordan. Let's see if Djokovic can eventually surpass Connors.
0 Comments