Novak Djokovic called ‘Golden GOAT’ who ‘climbed every summit’ by top pundit
Novak Djokovic has been called the “Golden GOAT” by respected tennis pundit Mark Petchey – who heaped praise on the Serbian after his epic Olympic triumph.
Djokovic finally claimed the Olympic title on Sunday, battling past Carlos Alcaraz in two tiebreak sets to win the one title that had eluded him across his extraordinary career.
It was the 37-year-old’s fifth Games, with the Serbian having never reached a gold medal match in his four previous campaigns.
And it was the Serbian’s first title of 2024, having started the year in erratic form – and having to withdraw from the French Open with a meniscus injury.
Speaking on the Tennis Channel Inside-In Podcast, Petchey revealed he already saw Djokovic as the greatest player of his era.
But the former pro now believes the world No 2 has entered an even greater standing in the game, having defied his form and injury issues – and previous Olympic heartbreak – to triumph.
Petchey said: “The Golden GOAT – say it quietly!
“I’ve always gone for the greatest of this era, but my goodness me, that was something else. When you look at his year, you look at the lack of top-10 wins, the lack of tournament wins, you look at the knee problem he sustained at the French.
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“He’s not just a phenomenal tennis player – which of course he is, because you can’t be great without being a phenomenal player. You can’t just be a mental giant, you can’t just be a physical beast, you also have to be an amazing tennis player.
“I personally think what Novak did on Sunday was his greatest ever achievement. I know ‘repeating’ is the hardest thing in sport, it’s not easy – it shows the character.
“But coming back five times, wanting to win it, wanting to achieve everything in the sport, he has climbed every single summit.”
All eyes will now be on Djokovic’s next move.
The Serbian alluded to potentially targeting the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 – when he would be 41.
However, a more immediate priority is likely to be his US Open title defence at the end of the month.
The Serbian will be hoping to win his first major of 2024, a record-extending 25th major overall, and match Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, and Jimmy Connors on five US Open victories.
Following that, Djokovic has entered into the Shanghai Masters and looks well-placed to qualify for the ATP Finals – where he is the defending champion.
He is also the defending champion at the Paris Masters, which takes place in November.
