A lot of people, including myself, think Roger Federer is the best ever, but Novak Djokovic has to be up there: Rod Laver
Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's Roland Garros final to claim his 19th Grand Slam, putting him just one Major behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. With his triumph, Djokovic has also become the first man in the Open Era to complete the Double Career Grand Slam - that is, winning each Major twice.
While Roy Emerson also won each Slam at least twice, he did it well before the Open Era. Rod Laver, on the other hand, claimed his second Career (also Calendar) Slam after the Open Era, but the first time he managed to win all four Majors was in 1962.
As such, Novak Djokovic's feat has prompted many to proclaim him as the GOAT ahead of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Rod Laver, on his part, believes that while Roger Federer is still the GOAT for the time being, Novak Djokovic is on par with the Swiss.
"A lot of people, including myself, think that Federer is the best ever at the moment," Laver said. "But Novak’s compiling a big record, so you’ve got to look at his career. You have to put him in that group with the greatest players. He has to be up there."
Rod Laver recalled his own feat of achieving the career Grand Slam twice, once as an amateur and the next time in 1969 as a pro. Laver went on to express his delight at Novak Djokovic's accomplishment, heaping praise on the Serb's remarkable consistency.
The Australian also singled out Djokovic's mental strength for praise, asserting that it is a vital weapon in the World No. 1's arsenal.
"I did it as an amateur and a pro," Laver said. "I don’t know which was harder. But I'm thrilled for Novak. He likes the challenge that is always there. That’s what he thrives on. Not very often does he find himself unable to play his best tennis. He's a different player. Mentally, he’s strong. A game or two down in the fifth doesn’t mean anything to him. He keeps battling on."
Novak Djokovic is the most complete player of all time: Patrick McEnroe
Meanwhile Patrick McEnroe, a former Roland Garros doubles champion, recently claimed that there is still a bit of debate about the GOAT. But McEnroe does believe that Djokovic - who is known for his versatility and balance, and has achieved success across different surfaces and conditions - is the "most complete player of all time".
"Is Novak Djokovic the greatest player of all time? That’s still up for debate. It certainly appears he's on his way, however," Patrick McEnroe said. "What's apparent now is that Djokovic is the most complete player of all time."