"Novak Djokovic has a chance to separate himself from Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal" - Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors has expressed his belief that Novak Djokovic has the opportunity to further separate himself from Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal by potentially winning 30 Grand Slam titles.
The Serb made history by winning the 2023 French Open, surpassing Nadal's tally of 22 Grand Slam titles to become the first and the only man to win 23 Major titles.
Commenting on Djokovic's historic feat, Connors highlighted the World No. 1's experience in contesting Grand Slam finals. The American stated that his vast experience was evident in his victories over Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal and Casper Ruud in the final.
“That experience that Djokovic has, you know he’s been on the winning and losing side of Grand Slam finals, going in there and understanding what it takes," Jimmy Connors said on the latest episode of the Advantage Connors podcast.
The former World No.1 lauded the 36-year-old's resilience and mental strength, which was emboldened by his ability to stay motivated and determined despite the uncertainty of his entry into certain Grand Slams due to his unvaccinated status against COVID-19.
"One other point about him is that time when he had off, that he wasn’t able to play. What was that like knowing that he was going out and practicing and having to put that kind of effort in mentally, not to get discouraged. And to continue to train and to work at his game and keep it at that high level, not knowing when he was going to play again. A lot of that enters into the mental part of it," he added.
Connors also wondered whether the Serb could potentially add another seven Major titles to his tally and separate himself from Federer and Nadal.
"So now he had, and he still does, the chance to separate himself from Federer and Nadal. He’s at 23, what’s it going to be? 30? 30 Grand Slams? I mean, if he plays another, how many more years can he play? He’s 36 so could he play another 3-4 years and what can he get out of that?" Connors said.
"It's amazing to know I'm ahead of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in Grand Slams" - Novak Djokovic
Following his record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam win at the 2023 French Open, Novak Djokovic shed light on his long-standing competition with his "two greatest rivals," Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
"Well, the truth is that I have always compared myself to these guys, because those two are the two greatest rivals I ever had in my career," he said.
The Serb expressed his delight at having surpassed both of them in the Grand Slam tally.
"It's amazing to know that I'm one ahead of both of them in Grand Slams, with Rafa, but at the same time, everyone writes their own history," he added.
Novak Djokovic also enjoys a winning head-to-head record against both Federer (27-23) and Nadal (30-29).