"He knows he’s not gonna be as popular as Federer or Nadal” – Serena Williams’ ex-coach on Novak Djokovic wanting to be the best in terms of records
Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs has claimed Novak Djokovic wants to win more trophies than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal because he knows he can't equal the duo in terms of popularity.
Djokovic recently lifted his 24th Grand Slam title to extend his lead over Federer and Nadal in the all-time winners' list. Nadal has won 22 trophies at the Majors to date and Federer has already retired with 20.
In terms of the head-to-head results, the Serb boasts leads over the other two. In his 50 encounters with Federer, he has 27 wins. Against Nadal, he enjoys a slim advantage with a 30-29 record in the head-to-head count.
Stubbs recently showered praise on the Serb after he won his fourth US Open title on Sunday, September 10. In the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis podcast, she acknowledged the Serb's never-give-up attitude, saying:
"Djokovic's numbers are just incredible and no matter how or what… he’s very polarizing in a lot of ways to a lot of people, but for me, as a former pro and somebody who has watched this game for a really long time… You just have to marvel at his ability to just never quit and he’s relentless."
Stubbs further compared the Serb's restraint with that of Federer and Nadal and stated that the Serb wanted to be better than the two in terms of on-court records.
"I think Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal] definitely personified wanting to win a lot but it’s obsessive to Novak and you can see it. He wants to put the numbers up because he knows he’s not gonna be as popular worldwide as Roger and Rafa," she said.
The 52-year-old also admitted to adoring the 24-time Grand Slam champion for his fighting spirit and added:
"I think I’m right in saying that, it’s just a fact. I think he wants to put the numbers up so much that ‘Yes they may be more popular than me but I’ll always be the greatest and I’ll always have the numbers over them’ and he doesn’t care and I admire him for that."
"Have to give Novak Djokovic unbelievable credit" - Rennae Stubbs
During the podcast, Rennae Stubbs also commended Novak Djokovic for his recent form. The 36-year-old won three out of the four Grand Slam tournaments this year, while also making it to the finals at Wimbledon.
"You have to give the guy unbelievable credit for putting in the work. At that age, to put in the work to be able to handle these guys in the best of five sets. He raises the bar," Stubbs said.
The Serb has overcome younger players during the biggest of events this year. At the Australian Open, he downed 25-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. He overcame 24-year-old Casper Ruud in the summit clash at Roland Garros and defeated Daniil Medvedev (27) in the US Open decider.
Djokovic's only failure in the finals came in the form of a defeat at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz. He, however, avenged his Wimbledon loss to the Spaniard at the Cincinnati Masters in August.