Novak Djokovic is undoubtedly the greatest sportsperson in Serbian history, and the country's prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic, has announced a major project to honor the tennis legend.
Many fans worldwide consider Djokovic to be the greatest tennis player ever. Some still make the case for Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer being the greatest, but it is hard to argue against the Serbian due to his achievements.
Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion. No other men's player in tennis history has claimed that many major titles, and he is tied with the Australian Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles won.
The 37-year-old also holds the record for the most weeks at world No. 1, spending 428 weeks at the top of the rankings. Federer held that position for 310 weeks, and Nadal did for 209 weeks.
Some fans argued for years that Djokovic could not be the definitive GOAT until he won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, which is the one achievement that eluded him throughout most of his tennis career.
However, the ten-time Wimbledon champion silenced those critics by securing a gold medal at the recent Paris Olympics. He produced a serving masterclass to defeat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 in the gold medal match, not being broken throughout the match.
Djokovic's triumph in Paris at the age of 37 amazed many of his fellow ATP players. Winning the one significant title that eluded him at that age is extraordinary and unprecedented in the sport.
Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni, thinks Djokovic is the best player in tennis history. A staunch supporter of Nadal's making the case for the 24-time Grand Slam champion being the greatest shows his incredible achievements.
The Serbian President Vucic wants their greatest sportsperson to be appropriately recognized for his achievements. N1 reported Vucic's words about the upcoming museum construction dedicated to Djokovic, which included the president calling Djokovic greater than Nadal.
“Palma (de Mallorca) has a museum dedicated to Rafael Nadal. We will aim to appropriately showcase the contributions Djokovic has made to our country and at the same time attract tourists. Novak is greater than Nadal in this magnificent sport."
"I don’t know if you know how popular he is, not just here but, say, in China. For example, if you gift a Novak Djokovic racket to a Chinese official, they cannot accept it because it is considered too valuable and significant a gift."
Understandably, Vucic thinks constructing a museum will bring tourists to Serbia. Making decisions that help the country economically is part of his job, but it is also a nice gesture to mark Djokovic's legendary career overall.
Vucic said the museum would be in the country's Capital, Belgrade. He feels the city is becoming the leading metropolis in Eastern Europe, which will help solidify that status even more.
“I believe we can finish this well before the Expo and present it as a tourist attraction. With this development, Belgrade is becoming the leading center and metropolis of the entire region—beyond just the former Yugoslavia. To attract people, you need a city like this, and I’m confident we’re on the right path."
0 Comments