"It was after the Australian Open": Novak Djokovic COVID deportation saga makes him the GOAT says chess grandmaster
ATPThursday, 21 December 2023 at 06:30
Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has called Serbia’s
Novak Djokovic as the ‘greatest tennis player of all time’.
The 36-year-old is often regarded as the best to have played
the sport in the men’s singles category in the Open era, having won as many as
24 Grand Slam titles.
Carlsen highlighted the exact moment where Djokovic became
the greatest tennis player of all time for him. "It was after the
Australian Open thing that he became the greatest for me," he said.
Djokovic had to face a lot of trouble while playing at the
Australian Open, especially after the COVID-19 era. The current world number one
was deported from the country in 2022 after failing to provide evidence of his vaccination
against the pathogen.
Djokovic then made a big statement in 2023 when he was finally
allowed to play the sport and he lifted the Australian Open title for the record
10th time after beating Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final
with a score of 6–3, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–5).
Other than that, Djokovic also ended up winning two more
Grand Slams in 2023. His only defeat in a major tournament in the recently concluded
season came in the final at Wimbledon where he lost to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz with
a score of 1–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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