Andy Roddick re-opens GOAT debate: “If you can make an argument against his numbers, you are being willfully ignorant at this point”
ATPSaturday, 31 January 2026 at 03:00
Novak Djokovic’s latest victory in the Australian Open semifinals was a shock to the tennis world, eliminating heavy favourite Jannik Sinner — the tournament’s two-time defending champion. Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick reacted to Djokovic’s new heroic feat and reignited the GOAT debate across all sports.
And when reviewing the greatest names in the history of sport, Novak Djokovic is now one of the figures most frequently mentioned — especially after surpassing records once held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, overtaking them in Grand Slam titles and Masters 1000 trophies, ATP Finals titles, more weeks as world No. 1 and more seasons finishing as year-end No. 1. Added to that is his Olympic gold medal in 2024, the final major achievement in which he had still trailed the records of his great rivals Federer and Nadal.
When including other sports, iconic names inevitably emerge in the final GOAT discussions: Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali, Michael Phelps or Lionel Messi are among those commonly cited as the greatest athletes in history — a list where Djokovic also firmly holds his place. His career longevity is almost unprecedented, considering that at 38 years old he could win his 25th Grand Slam title this Sunday and become the oldest major champion in history.
“Math doesn’t care about your feelings”: Roddick on the GOAT debate
“I think what’s making this GOAT thing so weird is that we never really get anything that’s final, right?” Roddick said on the Served podcast. “Like the Jordan–LeBron debate. Look, LeBron has left, but he played this. There are other factors involved where this conversation is largely—math doesn’t care about your feelings. And math doesn’t care about your vaccination status. And math doesn’t care about it, very simply.”
“I saw prime Federer. It was the hardest matchup that I had ever seen,” added the 2003 US Open champion. “He was the best player that stacked up against my game type. So therefore, he’s the last person I would want to play, with my life on the line. He’s the last guy I’d want to play. But if you line up three résumés, and you choose any of them except for this one, you are an insane human. That’s just very simply the way it is.”
Roddick on Nadal, Federer and contrasting greatness
The American also referred to the merits of Rafael Nadal, highlighting his competitive spirit and the physical capacity he displayed throughout his 20-year career.
“Everything else is about preference, about what you like to watch,” Roddick added. “You like the ballet, the artistry, or the blunt force trauma of Rafa. And I’ve always said what Novak does so well doesn’t immediately jump off the screen to an untrained tennis eye. What Roger does very well is very obvious.”
“It’s amazing if you know tennis as well as I do, and it’s amazing if it’s the first tennis match you’ve ever watched. Rafa, the physicality with which he can play, the RPMs, his speed, the drama of when he’s running something out — even the drama of his grunts — it all makes sense. He instantly feels like this gladiatorial figure, whereas Novak is like a surgeon. He is literally picking you apart, and you have to make these huge risk trade-offs to make an impact on him.”
"That is an impossible thing to do”: Djokovic’s unique superpower, according to Roddick
However, for Roddick there is no longer any doubt — just as the numbers clearly show — that Djokovic has already removed Nadal and Federer from the GOAT debate. “But if you can make an argument against his numbers, you are being willfully ignorant at this point,” he stated. “That’s what I think. Why am I wrong?”
“His superpower, above all others, is the ability to switch directions without risk,” Roddick said of the 24-time Grand Slam champion. “That means he can find the pattern and the matchup inside the game whenever he wants. He’s the only person who can simultaneously switch directions on Roger, take Rafa’s forehand — that lefty thing that jumps up and away, which was Roger’s kryptonite — step in, feel comfortable driving it, drive it down the line, and actually find Rafa’s backhand off that ball. That is an impossible thing to do.”
“You will not notice it as a tennis fan unless you are an absolute nerd, and he does it over and over again,” Roddick added. “He has this length. He has kind of the skill set of Andre, where you can stay inside the court and deliver balls to the corners, except he’s five inches taller, his reach is longer, he’s faster, and he’s six foot four.”
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