‘Novak Djokovic earned the right to the GOAT title’, says former top 10 star

Ewan West
Novak Djokovic with the 2023 US Open trophy
Novak Djokovic sits with the 2023 US Open trophy

Pablo Carreno Busta believes Novak Djokovic has “earned the right” to the greatest tennis player of all time title because he is “the best in terms of titles.”

The Spaniard, who is a former world No 10,  highlighted the fact that an Olympic gold is the only prize Djokovic lacks and he feels the Serbian “will rush for it this year.”

Many of Djokovic’s fellow players, as well as retired stars, analysts and fans, consider the legendary Serbian the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of tennis.

Djokovic holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles with 24, while his rivals Nadal and Federer sit second and third on the all-time men’s list with 22 and 20 Majors respectively.

The 37-year-old has also secured the most Masters 1000 titles (40), the most ATP Finals titles (seven), finished the most seasons as the ATP world No 1 (eight), and has spent a record 428 weeks on top of the rankings.

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Djokovic has claimed every ‘big title’ in tennis at least twice each, with the exception of the Olympic Games, where his best result was winning a bronze medal in 2008.

The Serbian is competing at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where he is seeking an eighth title to tie Federer’s men’s record.

Carreno Busta, who is currently ranked 799th after an injury-ravaged period since early 2023, has shared his thoughts on the GOAT debate.

“Novak earned the right to that title because he won the most titles, the most Slams… The only thing he lacks is the Olympic gold – he already has a medal – and I’m sure he will rush for it this year,” the Spaniard told Sport Klub.

“All three are incredible, there is always that discussion, all three are, but Novak is the best in terms of titles. Everything else is a matter of taste – you know what they say, there’s no arguing about tastes and colours.”

The 32-year-old picked his victory against Djokovic in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as the biggest win of his career.

“For starters, I would definitely single out the victory over Djokovic at the Olympics, one of the best victories of my career,” Carreno Busta said.

“Beating the No 1 in the world in the fight for a medal, how did that feel, uh… That tournament was something special for me, because I beat the No 2 in the world, Daniil Medvedev, in the quarter-finals.

“To beat the first two in the world, I really deserved that medal. There were also some other important moments, some matches that did not attract so much attention, but I intimately know how much they helped my growth.”

Carreno Busta was due to face Tallon Griekspoor in the opening round at Wimbledon, but he was forced to withdraw.

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