"Roger Federer had the greatest influence on tennis but the best, in terms of results, will definitely be Novak Djokovic" - Aljaz Bedene on the GOAT debate
Former Slovenian tennis player Aljaz Bedene recently gave his views on the GOAT debate involving Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Federer, Djokovic and Nadal are unarguably three of the greatest tennis athletes to ever be. However, the debate about who among them is the Greatest of All Time refuses to subside.
The most recent opinion was put forth by Aljaz Bedene, where he reiterated his earlier claim about the GOAT debate. Speaking to Sportklub, Bedene opined that Roger Federer was highly influential in the sport, however, in terms of results, he considered Novak Djokovic to be the most successful.
"Let's not close our eyes, Roger had the greatest influence on tennis. The best, in terms of results, will definitely be Djoković. I am of the opinion that after the retirement of all the members of the elite trio, the Serb will have the largest number of Grand Slams, Masters, maybe even the number of tournaments. I have played with all three at least twice, “Nole” has the hardest ball, he is perfect," he said.
Bedene, who played for Great Britain from 2015-2018, also spoke about his equation with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
"I remember being recognized and greeted by even the best, such as Rafa Nadal at the last US Open. Despite their greatness, tennis greats are still only human; I got along well with everyone for the most part. I was in the best relationships with Robert Bautista Agut, Damir Džumhur and, of course, most of the Serbs, except for Novak Djokovic. We didn't have the same schedule," he revealed.
“I have never felt so well prepared” - Aljaz Bedene on his chances at scoring a win against the likes of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray
Aljaz Bedene, who announced his decision to retire at the end of 2022, after his loss to Djokovic in the third round of the 2022 French Open, played his final match in the Davis Cup tie against Estonia.
In the interview with Sportklub, the 33-year-old was asked whether he ever felt he had a chance at defeating the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. He responded by admitting that he could have managed a win against the Big 4 before the Covid-19 pandemic set in, which disrupted his momentum.
"I did. Before Covid. I played the 3rd round of Flushing with Zverev and lost in four sets, two of which were overtime. I was in the quarter-finals in Vienna, tied with Tsonga for the title in Metz, then the following year in February I beat Tsitsipas and lost to Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals. If I had played a good spring, I could have been close to the top 20, but then we found out at Indian Wells that the tournaments were canceled. I have never felt so well prepared and then comes the coronavirus," he said.
Bedene competed against Andy Murray once, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal twice, whereas he faced Novak Djokovic four times. The former World No. 43, however, was unable to register a win against any of them.