Although Novak Djokovic just turned 34 this past weekend, the World No.1 is still capable of dominating the sport of tennis for a long time, according to Jim Courier.
The four-time Grand Slam champion believes that Djokovic is likely to end his career atop the all-time men's Grand Slams list. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal currently share the top spot with 20 Majors each, but Courier is of the opinion that the Serbian will overtake them both in a few years, as he sits in second place with 18 titles.
“I definitely think Novak will have more bites at the apple, assuming that both Nadal and Djokovic stay healthy,” Courier said in an interview with Tennis Channel. “I think he’s a little bit more viable across the other surfaces. If you look at the balance of where their majors have been won, I think that’s probably true given that three of the four are not on clay."
With a 39-year old Federer who has only played in two events in 2021, and Nadal turning 35 later this year, Courier believes that the odds favor Djokovic, who is younger and has proven to be extremely durable over the last few years.
“It’s hard to see Rafa not winning at least 2-3 more based on how healthy he is right now and how much of a prohibitive favorite he is at Roland Garros so if he punches out to 22-23, Novak has a lot of ground to make up but he seems to be likely to have a longer career. He’s a year younger and he tends to be in pretty good health and as long as he can stay away from the operating table and stay focused, I think he can be viable until he’s 40 years old."
Regardless, the retired American still sees Nadal as the favorite at this year's French Open, especially since the Djokovic hasn't defeated Nadal on clay in five years.
“There’s a few things to look to if you’re Novak and be optimistic about but of course Rafa has the reason to be the most optimistic of all,” Courier said of the French Open, where the draw will be unveiled on Thursday.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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