Alcaraz's bold claim: Djokovic 'without a doubt' the best

Spain’s young tennis star Carlos Alcaraz stated that world number two Novak Djokovic is the ‘greatest’ in history. The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles.

His other two rivals, former world number one Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Spain’s Rafael Nadal, always came into the discussion as well. Federer was the first player ever in the history of men’s tennis to win more than 15 Grand Slams in his illustrious career. He was also the first to win 20 major titles in men’s tennis. On the other hand, Nadal was the first player ever to win more than 20 Grand Slam titles. He is also known as the ‘King of Clay’ after winning as many as 14 French Open titles.

Alcaraz, who is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis, was recently quoted where he was asked about his opinion in the GOAT debate. The 21-year-old stated that according to numbers, Djokovic is the greatest ‘without a doubt’. As far as numbers go, it’s Novak Djokovic without a doubt,” said Alcaraz. “The other two: Federer and Rafa. For me, they’re tops. I know it is almost impossible to break Novak’s records, but I’m playing tennis for myself, for joy and I want to do great things. I want to be part of tennis history.”

Federer retired from the sport in September 2022 after consistent struggles with fitness. On the other hand, Nadal, currently playing in the Bastad Open, has already booked his place in the semifinal after beating Mariano Navone in the quarterfinal. Still, he has also struggled with fitness concerns. Because of this, in 2023, Nadal announced that the 2024 season would be his last at the highest level. Djokovic, who is going through a rather challenging season according to his high standards, has recently finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon 2024 as he lost to Alcaraz in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-2, 7-6.