Novak Djokovic will have more Grand Slams than Federer and Nadal: Dusan Lajovic
Novak Djokovic is possibly the most mentally strong player to have come up in the Open Era. After facing a lot of physical and emotional issues at the start of his career, Djokovic learned to overcome any and every obstacle as he raced away to 17 Grand Slams (and counting).
It is clear that Novak Djokovic doesn't intend to stop any time soon. He seems determined to chase the duo of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in his quest to be the undisputed greatest player ever, and it will take a superhuman effort to stop him.
With the GOAT race ever so close, many players and tennis personalities have had their say on the matter over the last few years. Recently in a chat with a Serbian daily, Novak Djokovic's good friend and fellow Serb Dusan Lajovic weighed in on the debate as well.
Everyone was already a fan of Federer or Nadal, then Novak Djokovic appeared: Lajovic
Novak Djokovic was just a young tyke when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were ruling the tennis world in the late 2000s. And people wondered if the young Serb really had it in him to challenge the legendary duo at the top.
Djokovic has surely come a long way since, even though he continues to find a divided reception among tennis fans and media. Asked if the the media coverage of Novak Djokovic has been biased, Dusan Lajovic said:
"Maybe. Novak Djokovic came a little later, since everyone was already a fan of Federer or Nadal. Then a third appeared."
Lajovic then emphasized how the Big 3 are all equally great, with very little separating their skills and achievements.
"If we look at their successes, it cannot be said that someone is one hundred percent better than the other," Lajovic said.
Novak Djokovic is moving towards the finish line: Lajovic
The trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won the last 13 Grand Slams, and share a mammoth 56 Majors between them. The rest of the men's tour has taken a backseat to the Big 3, and right now the biggest point of interest is whether one of the trio will manage to come out as the undisputed leader.
When asked his opinion of who the GOAT will be in the end, Lajovic said:
"They are very close and it remains to be seen who will finish as the best. On the other hand, Novak Djokovic is moving towards that and maybe that is one of the obstacles on that path to becoming the best."
Lately, however, Novak Djokovic's personality and popularity have been making more headlines than his game. The Serb has bamboozled the fans with dubious opinions related to vaccinations and pseudoscience, and he also tested positive for COVID-19 after his Adria Tour turned into a disaster.
But Novak Djokovic's countryman believes that the World No.1 should not take much stock into such things.
"He may not have the support of the audience, but what does he care? He'll have the most Grand Slams. Work is work and you should not spend too much energy on things that you cannot directly influence," Dusan Lajovic said.