Rafael Nadal's 14 Roland Garros titles are harder than Novak Djokovic's 23 Grand Slams: Ilie Nastase
Novak Djokovic's 23 Grand Slam titles were deemed less significant than Rafael Nadal's 14 titles at Roland Garros by the legendary Ilie Nastase.
Former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Nastase offered his perspective on the debate for the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Nastase claimed that Djokovic's lead with 23 Majors to Nadal's 22 is not as big as it seems. Starting the year with one fewer than the Spaniard, Djokovic won his record 23rd Major at French Open last week, downing Casper Ruud in the final.
"I don't think it's a fight, I don't think it's a personal fight between him and Nadal. I don't see this thing. That's what happened, right?," Nastase told Gazeta Sportuilor.
"It could have been the other way around, it could have been Nadal with 23. They're both there, close to each other. Does it matter now that he took an extra one?" he added.
The 1973 French Open winner in singles also went as far as saying that Nadal's success at Roland Garros is bigger than Djokovic's overall achievement.
"It matters to Djokovic, but I don't think Nadal is jealous of that. Someone else should be jealous of him, that he won Roland Garros 14 times. Those 14 are harder than Djokovic's 23," Nastase claimed.
"Just so you know, to win on clay 14 times at Roland Garros?! I don't think another player is born who can do this job," the 76-year-old Romanian added.
Nastase also mentioned Roger Federer when recalling the great champions who are not as talked about these days as some other players.
"They're all there, Federer is too. Let's not forget those before, Borg, Rod Laver, who did the calendar Slam twice, Sampras. Or others, which we have forgotten. Agassi, for example. And others," Nastase said.
Nick Kyrgios believes only he can stop Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon 2023
Novak Djokovic will once again be the defending champion at Wimbledon, after winning his seventh title at The Championships in 2022.
In the final of the 2022 edition of the tournament, Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios in four sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) to win his 21st Grand Slam.
The Australian was asked who could stop Djokovic, who has won the first two Grand Slam titles of 2023, at this year's Wimbledon, to which he responded:
"If it's not me - no one," Kyrgios replied at Sky Sport News.
Kyrgios has missed the entirety of the 2023 season prior to returning at the Stuttgart Open, where he lost in the first round to Yibing Wu, 5-7, 3-6.