'GOAT' Novak Djokovic being called the "best athlete on earth right now" by Andy Roddick earns Marion Bartoli's husband's approval
Novak Djokovic was recently called the "best athlete on earth right now" by Andy Roddick and a reaction to this quote came from Marion Bartoli's husband, Yahya Boumediene.
Djokovic clinched a record-extending 24th Grand Slam title of his career, beating Daniil Medvedev in the 2023 US Open summit clash. At 36 years old, the Serb also became the oldest champion at the New York Major in the Open Era.
Reflecting on his former nemesis' recent achievements, Roddick admitted that the Serb is the best athlete on earth at the moment.
"It's not even close to hyperbolic to say that he's the best athlete on earth right now," Andy Roddick wrote in a recent blog for Betway.
Taking to social media, Bartoli's husband Boumediene agreed with Roddick's statement as he labelled the Serb with the GOAT tag.
Boumediene, a Belgian footballer, is a long-time supporter of Djokovic. He recently shared a picture of him with the World No. 1 when the duo met each other at the US Open.
Marion Bartoli married Boumediene in December 2019. The former Wimbledon champion has been working as a commentator since her retirement.
"The dominance of Novak Djokovic and the way that he’s able to win this consistently is just absurd" - Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick also opined that Novak Djokovic's ability to win consistently has made him the most reliable player in the sport. The American asserted that he will never bet against the 36-year-old regardless of the surface he plays on.
"The dominance of Novak and the way that he’s able to win this consistently is just absurd. He’s probably the most reliable player that we’ve ever had in the game. I wouldn’t bet against him on any given day, on any surface, in any format," Roddick stated.
Roddick claimed that the Serb is basically playing against his own shadow at the moment.
"It’s an impossibility to make a statistical argument against him being the best ever. It’s like proving gravity at this point. He’s now tied Margaret Court on 24 Slams, but he wants all of the records, so he’ll want to get to 25. After that, he’s basically playing against his own shadow – there’s nothing else out there for him," he added.
Djokovic's dominance across Grand Slams this year is clear. The Serb has a win-loss record of 27-1 with his only loss coming against Carlos Alcaraz at the Wimbledon final.