Game, Set, GOAT? The incredible era of Novak Djokovic

Now at 23 grand slams, Novak Djokovic has surpassed Nadal and Federer in the number of grand slams won. As history beckons, where does he go from here?

For close to two decades, three players have defined men’s tennis — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — in an era synonymous with their personalities, styles of play, and sterling achievements. Since 2004, the trio have competed against each other in 149 matches, winning 65 major titles between them. Those are remarkable figures. Yet, for the youngest member of this exalted club, Novak Djokovic, it took a very long time to come into his own. Federer first ran a solo show until Nadal burst onto the scene and shared the spotlight in the chasing act. For the first eight years of Djokovic’s career, Federer and Nadal were both holding court and the young man from Serbia had to be content as a member of a promising, but ultimately supporting, cast. In fact, it was not until 2011 that he broke out and started dominating the tour. It is to Djokovic’s credit that he withstood the Federer-Nadal assault, stayed with them, and kept improving his game. When I talk about the Federer-Nadal assault, it is not only that they were winning the bulk of titles till 2010, they were also getting the bulk of the media attention as well as sponsorship money.

A 36-year “young” Djokovic is the toast of the tennis world, having won the 2023 French Open title. (REUTERS)

A decade on, it is now a 36-year “young” Djokovic who is the toast of the tennis world, having won the 2023 French Open title. This makes it his 23rd major title and his 3rd French Open. Nearly half of those slam titles have come after his 30th birthday.

The records are tumbling. For a very long time, Roy Emerson’s 12 major titles was the gold standard. Pete Sampras had to work very hard to better it, ending up with 14.

But in the following generation, that record was beaten, not by one or two, but three extraordinarily gifted players — first Federer with 20, then Nadal with 22, and now Djokovic with 23. I should add 23 not out, because he seems to be going from strength to strength. Federer has since retired and Nadal has been out of action for a very long time. With an injury cloud looming, it appears highly unlikely that Nadal is going to add to his tally.

As far as Djokovic is concerned, however, Wimbledon is around the corner and he will be the overwhelming favourite. He has not lost there since 2017 and he comes in as the world no. 1 and full of confidence. The 36-year-old is the holder of this year’s Australian and French Open titles and the talk of a calendar Grand Slam (winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon and US Open titles in a single year) is very much on the cards. He missed this by a whisker in 2021, when having won the first three, he lost in the final of the US Open. If he does lift the trophies in London and New York, he’ll become the first man to achieve this feat since Rod Laver in 1969, taking another stride to joining the pantheon of tennis greats.

Before I get into the pros of the Djokovic game, I will get a couple of negatives out of the way. In the late 2000s, as an up-and-coming player, he defaulted in several Grand Slams in the later rounds. That was a big no-no. Questions started being raised about his inner resilience. And secondly, around 2009, in his anxiety to improve his serve and take on the best in the world, he kept fiddling with his service motion, and unfortunately mauled it to a point where for a period, it looked awful. To his credit, he quickly pared back the changes, made the necessary adjustments, and regained his strength. He understood that his service was never going to be a major weapon, but it was solid, and set him up for the rest of his game to take over.

2011 is considered Djokovic’s breakthrough year — when he finally pierced through the stranglehold of Federer and Nadal, winning three Grand Slams and ending the year with a 10-1 record against the two more senior players. But the foundation for this achievement was laid in 2010. That year, he steered his country to the Davis Cup title. He also got on a very strict gluten-free diet and this helped him to get into top physical condition. He won the 2011 Australian Open, and from then on, there was no looking back. In fact, the only blip was in 2017 when he had some injury issues and underwent a minor procedure to correct it. But he came back stronger, and has been in blazing form since.

What are his major weapons? He is a very tough competitor, moves extremely well and has a top-notch backhand, which he uses to full effect to neutralise the Nadal game. Nadal’s high-spinning forehand topspin gives a right-handed backhand nightmares, but this plays directly to Djokovic’s strength. He is able to control play from his shoulder level. What set him apart in his march to the 2023 French Open title was his ability to keep improving as the tournament progressed and play his best when it mattered the most. The Carlos Alcaraz semi-final was hyped but fizzled out after two sets. Djokovic wore down his opponent and funnily enough, the 36-year-old was able to outlast the 20-year-old. Experience certainly counts.

While I have spoken about his strengths, the rest of the game also holds up well. His forehand gets better and better as the match goes on, and he knows how to mix it up well with his service. Even on the red clay courts in Paris, he is not afraid to serve and volley on occasions and used that tactic to good effect. He has safe hands at the net and even on slower clay courts, he was able to cover his overhead weakness.

Where does Djokovic go from here? Well, obviously to London! There is hardly any time between Paris and London and it is important for him to rest, and get rid of any niggles. He goes into Wimbledon without any tournament play on grass courts but he is used to that. That is not going to be a deterrent.

But in the longer term, it is going to be strange for him not to have Federer or Nadal on the tour. For two decades, he has fed off the energy coursing between these stalwarts on and off the court, and I am sure he is going to miss that. With the other two fading, Djokovic is now the senior statesman in the game and has to get used to that position.

The immediate excitement is whether he completes the calendar Grand Slam. He is halfway there and I don’t think a betting man would put any money against one of the greatest players to hold a racquet. If that were to happen, he would have won 25 majors and set the bar even higher for the next generation of players. Exciting times lie ahead.

Ramesh Krishnan is India’s former Davis Cup captain. The views expressed are personal