Exclusive – Greg Rusedski puts a number on how many Grand Slam titles Novak Djokovic will win

Kevin Palmer
Novak Djokovic 2021 Wimbledon champion

Greg Rusedski believes Novak Djokovic is about to end the debate over who will be remembered as the greatest player of all time, as he eyes up on a remarkable clean sweep of Grand Slam titles in 2021 at the US Open.

Djokovic heads into the final major of the year with the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles already in his grasp and Rusedski believes a Calendar Grand Slam will be the defining stamp on the Serbian’s golden legacy.

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Yet he does not believe Djokovic will rest if he moves ahead of his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal by winning a 21st Grand Slam title, as he predicts he has his eyes on more and more as he aims to ensure he is remembered as the greatest player of all time.

“I think he will get 25 and become the all-time Slam winner on the men’s and women’s tours, with Margaret Court’s record standing at 24,” Rusedski told Tennis365 at a Prime Video event.

“While the GOAT debate will always go on, he will have no questions to answer if he gets five and more ahead of Federer and Nadal.

“It’s hard to argue against the guy who has done a Calendar Slam and has 25 Grand Slams.

“Knowing how Novak works, he will want to put distance between himself and the other two guys and he wants to end the debate.

“We have a lot of fans who are passionate about each of the three guys who have dominated tennis and you need that to make in any sport sport. That’s why football is so successful. In tennis, we have the Big Three and they divide opinion among those who follow them.

Greg Rusedski

“That’s why you need fan interaction. We have been so blessed with the ‘Big Three’ at the same time in our sport, but I think Djokovic will break all the records.

“The only way we can judge this is on numbers and Novak also has a winning record against the other two as well. The numbers don’t lie.”

Rusedski went on to suggest Djokovic is about to face the most challenging Grand Slam of his career at the US Open, with the hype around a potential calendar Grand Slam hanging over him.

“This is the most pressured Slam he will go into in his life,” he added. “Yes there is no Federer or Nadal this time, but Medvedev is playing great, Tsitsipas and Zverev are playing great, Zverev is playing so well and this will be pressure at its highest.

“You have to go all the way back to Rod Laver to find a player who did a calendar Grand Slam in the men’s game and that is all the way back in 1969.

“This is immense. This is for No 21, to put him ahead of Roger and Rafa in that race and to give him the Calendar Grand Slam.

“That’s why this US Open is going to be so special and we wait to see how he deals with it.

“We saw what the pressure did to Serena Williams when she tried to complete the calendar Grand Slam in 2015 and in the final matches, it was too much.

“No one could have predicted she would lose to Roberta Vinci in the US Open semi-final that year, but this is what pressure can do to you.

“Pressure can build and build, but he knows the three out of five set format should play into his hands at the US Open.”

The US Open is available to watch on Prime Video from Monday 30thAugust

Greg Rusedski Novak Djokovic

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