Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras have a better claim that Novak Djokovic isn't the GOAT than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal: Tennis analyst
Tennis analyst Gill Gross recently provided a unique perspective on the debate surrounding Novak Djokovic's status as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).
Djokovic won his record 24th Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, surpassing Serena Williams to become the player with the most Major titles in the Open Era. Furthermore, he extended his lead over Rafael Nadal, who holds 22 Grand Slam titles, and Roger Federer, who retired with 20.
Responding to questions sent in by tennis fans on the 'Monday Match Analysis' podcast, Gross suggested that past legends like Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras had a stronger case to challenge the Serb's GOAT status compared to Federer or Nadal.
"In an way, your Rod Laver’s and Bjorn Borg’s and Pete Sampras’ of the world have a better claim that Novak isn’t the GOAT, they have a better claim than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in some ways," Gross said.
In support of his claim, Gross argued that it was necessary to acknowledge that athletic longevity was significantly shorter in the past, and winning on all three surfaces much more challenging.
"And that way is that, if you’re going to cast a doubt on Djokovic’s deservedness to have that label on him, you have to point to things like, in a previous time athletic longevity was not what it is today. Or it was much, much harder to win across all three surfaces," he said.
"These are things you would have to point to to make an argument that - yes, Djokovic is the most accomplished player of all time but for these reasons, to put it in the historical context and to look at all the factors, he’s not necessarily the greatest of all time," he added.
"It becomes hard to say anything other than that Novak Djokovic has the numbers" - Gill Gross on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Gill Gross further contended that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could not employ the same argument to challenge Novak Djokovic's status as the GOAT because they competed alongside him in the same era.
"But in order to make that argument, you would have to be vouching for players of previous era. You would not be able to make that particular argument from the perspective of Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, who more or less played side by side with Djokovic," he said.
He also asserted that making an argument against the Serb's records necessitated delving into history and considering factors beyond statistics that have contributed to Djokovic, Federer and Nadal's accomplishments.
"So, if you’re Rafa or if you’re Roger or if you’re anyone who played alongside Novak, that’s where it becomes hard to say anything other other than that he has the numbers," he said.
"And that’s just how tennis is, it’s that objective one-on-one sport where it’s really hard to make any argument beyond the numbers unless you are going much much further back in history and looking at certain contextual factors and circumstances that made it easier for not just Novak but also Roger and Rafa to accomplish what they accomplished," he added.