Roger Federer is probably the greatest player who has ever lived, says Novak Djokovic
After arriving in Zadar for the second leg of the Adria Tour, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic spoke about his first impressions of the city and also talked about a certain Roger Federer.
Novak Djokovic successfully completed the opening leg of the event in Belgrade, where fans turned up in huge numbers. Dominic Thiem ended up winning the trophy on the weekend, and he was joined by Alexander Zverev and others in exploring Djokovic's hometown.
Now that everyone is in Croatia for the next stage, Novak Djokovic is again the cynosure of all eyes - and he is making good use of that by coming up with some interesting comments.
Nothing would surprise me when it comes to Roger Federer: Novak Djokovic
While speaking to reporters in Zadar, Novak Djokovic was asked about his Big 3 peer Roger Federer and whether he would be able to play top-level tennis when he returns to the tour next year. Djokovic replied that he wouldn't be surprised if the Swiss continued excelling even into his 40s.
"Nothing would surprise me when it comes to Federer," Djokovic said. "He is probably the greatest tennis player who has ever lived, ever held a racquet."
However, Novak Djokovic was quick to add that comparing tennis players across eras is a difficult proposition because of too many variables.
For instance, a player like Bjorn Borg retired at the age of 26 after bagging 11 Grand Slam titles. Djokovic believes that if the Swedish legend had found the motivation to continue for a few more years, he might have easily found himself higher up the list of all-time Grand Slam title leaders.
"People often debate who is the greatest of all time, taking various parameters in order to decide who is the best," Novak Djokovic said. "It is difficult to compare generations. Bjorn Borg won 11 Grand Slams and retired at the age of 26. If he had continued to play for another five or 10 years, where would he have ended up? These are all things that are now in question. What would have happened if they had not played with wooden racquets?"
Novak Djokovic speaks about his good friend Luka Modric
Novak Djokovic revealed that he didn't know that his good friend Luka Modric, who plays for La Liga giants Real Madrid, hailed from the same city where the Adria Tour will have its second leg.
In this regard, Novak Djokovic said that Modric is one of the best footballers on the planet and a 'good' guy off the pitch.
"We talked at the beginning of the year and talked about some events that we could organise together, both in the region and in the world," Djokovic said. "Of course I support and follow Luka. He is one of the best football players in the world. Extremely good guy, family man. A magician with a ball.
"I did not know that Zadar is his hometown, so I will call him to give me a recommendation on where to go, what to do, when to meet… I hope that I will have the opportunity to stay with him in his city one day ," Novak Djokovic added.
Novak Djokovic believes that Luka Modric winning the coveted Ballon d'Or award in the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenal achievement, and he pointed out exactly that by saying:
"Certainly, Luka is one of the greatest athletes in history from this area. Absolutely. Winning the Golden Ball in the competition of Messi and Ronaldo and other players in this era is something so big that we will understand only after he finishes his career. These are results that are eternal."
The 17-time Grand Slam winner further emphasized how Modric has achieved stupendous success for club and country. He added that perhaps when the two are done with their respective careers, they might be able to fathom the enormity of their achievements.
"What he did with the Croatian national team, as it relates to the national jersey, is a nailed position in Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world. When I look at his and my successes, as a direct participant and still active, we still cannot understand their greatness. Something happens all the time, life goes on and somehow you don't have time to look back and look at things objectively and see what you've done. Probably when we have time, we will sit down for a drink by the shore and look at it all. He has achieved phenomenal success and I wish him all the best.”