Novak Djokovic ‘ended the debate’ over the GOAT after 23rd Grand Slam

Kevin Palmer 11 Jun 2023 6:25 PM

Novak Djokovic in action

So that’s it then – the debate over who deserves to be hailed as the greatest tennis player of all-time has ended with Novak Djokovic’s 23rd Grand Slam at the French Open.

That’s the verdict of former British No.1 Tim Henman, who looked on in awe as Djokovic moved past his great rival Rafael Nadal in the race to be crowned as the ultimate champion in the sport.

Djokovic stands alone at the pinnacle of men’s tennis after defeating Casper Ruud to win his 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Since claiming his first at the Australian Open in 2008, Djokovic has been pursuing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal through the history books but now he has surpassed both having broken the record he jointly held with Nadal.

Djokovic’s 7-6 (1) 6-3 7-5 victory over Ruud draws him level with Serena Williams and he could equal Margaret Court’s all-time singles mark at Wimbledon next month.

There will be those who claim Nadal’s 14 wins at Roland Garros means he still deserves to be mentioned in the debate to crown the greatest of all time.

Then there was the majesty and brilliance of Roger Federer, who set the ball rolling on this most golden of tennis eras by becoming the first man to break through the 20 Grand Slam barrier.

Yet with Federer retired and Nadal facing an uncertain future in the sport, Djokovic looks certain to finish his career with the most Grand Slam titles.

“He has ended the debate over who is the greatest male player of all time,” declared Henman on Eurosport.

“He just loves and embraces the challenge. This is not his best surface, but he finds a way to win. He wants more and more.

“There is he celebrating his 23rd Grand Slam and he is already talking about coming back for more.

“He is the only male player to win the four Grand Slam titles at least three times and that is a remarkable record.

“I think he has been very open, honest and frank about these numbers and now he will look at Margaret Court’s total of 24 Grand Slams to be the best of all time for men and women.

“We know he has gears he can go through and Wimbledon is only three weeks away and he is a massive favorite for that. With that focus and burning desire, I wouldn’t put it past him getting to 24 there.

“He has been incredible for so long now and I think he is playing the best tennis of his career now at the age of 36, which is incredible.

“He is hitting the ball harder and still isn’t making unforced errors. He is incredible and we might have a few more years of him yet.”

This latest major title for Djokovic arrived after another sublime performance and once a titanic first set with Ruud went in his favour, there was only one winner in this contest.

He got better and better as the match went on and was almost unplayable at times, with the final break of serve that sealed his victory coming after an insanely brilliant game that would have been too much for any rival.

At the age of 36, Djokovic shows no sign of slowing down or losing his cutting-edge and that is an ominous sign for the rest of the tennis world.

Carlos Alcaraz may be the rising star of the game, Ruud is a player who is too strong for most of his rivals and the rest of the game’s top 20 are loaded with quality.

Yet there is one player who has been better than the rest for the best part of a decade and he confirmed that position will not change any time soon.

All hail Novak Djokovic – the greatest the game has seen.