"Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have always accepted defeat better than Novak Djokovic" - Younes El Aynaoui on the GOAT debate
Former ATP player Younes El Aynaoui recently weighed in on the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate, explaining why he thinks Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are ahead of Novak Djokovic in certain areas.
Djokovic has had a season for the ages in 2023, winning three Grand Slams, two Masters 1000 titles and the year-end ATP Finals. Along the way, he completed 400 weeks as World No. 1 (the most in history), and became the player with the most Major titles in the Open Era.
With 24 Slams to his name, the Serb now has two more than Nadal and four more than Federer. However, in a recent interview with Punto de Break, Younes El Aynaoui opined that titles weren't the only factor to be taken into consideration in the GOAT debate.
El Aynaoui said that personally, he would evaluate the athlete as a whole. In his opinion, the Spaniard and the Swiss have always accepted defeat better, which El Aynaoui considers the true mark of a champion.
"On paper, Novak is making an increasing difference, he continues to add and add titles. Then we would also have to evaluate the behavior and the person, in that sense, for me Rafa and Roger are above. It's a personal opinion," El Aynaoui said.
"Like Roger and Rafa we will probably never see players again. There is something more behind the numbers, that is seen in the difficult moments of life, in how one behaves. When you win it is very easy, everyone is with you, but the true champion is seen in defeat. Rafa and Roger have always accepted defeat better than Novak, perhaps that is why he has won more than them. But not everything is about the record, above all is the person," he added.
"Rafael Nadal is No. 1, we never saw him do anything strange on the court" - Younes El Aynaoui
Younes El Aynaoui further said that Rafael Nadal was No. 1 in his mind because of how he conducted himself on the court. He pointed out that the Spaniard never throws a tantrum on the court and never breaks his racket out of frustration.
The Moroccan, therefore, considers Nadal the best role model for the next generation.
"For me it's not all about tennis and numbers, you also have to look at what the person is like or how they handle defeats. In that sense, Rafa is number one, we never saw him do anything strange on the court, and I'm not saying this because he is in Spain," Younes El Aynaoui said.
"He never broke a racket, nor did we see him complain about anything or throw a match, he has always shown a good attitude, he is an example for everyone who plays tennis. Fortunately we were able to enjoy the era of these three players, Djokovic is still playing and expanding his legend, we will see next year how far the new generation goes," he added.