"Somebody can say Roger Federer meant more to tennis, mine is just the best all-around player" - Christopher Eubanks picks Novak Djokovic as the GOAT
American tennis sensation Christopher Eubanks has weighed in on the GOAT debate involving Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.
The debate over who the greatest player of all time is has long been a topic of discussion in the tennis world. Three players undoubtedly stand out from the rest in this debate: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.
The trio has a whopping 65 Grand Slam titles between them. Djokovic leads the way with 23, with Nadal just one behind him. Federer, who retired last year, is two titles behind Nadal.
When asked who he thought the GOAT was, in a conversation with Prime Video's Sports Talk, Christopher Eubanks gave a layered answer. He first said some may argue Roger Federer is the one deserving of the moniker because he is a global icon and has almost every record in the sport under his sleeve.
"You can make an argument that it's Federer, because Federer changed the way that, you know, professional tennis players were viewed globally. He was a global icon," Eubanks said.
"Sotit's tough to really make an argument based on fact, but somebody can make the argument to say Federer meant more to the sport of tennis. I am not really going to argue with you on that, if that's what your GOAT means," he added.
But according to the American, the GOAT is none other than Novak Djokovic, who he believes can win under any circumstances.
"Mine is just the best all around tennis player," Eubanks said. "You can take a tennis player, drop them on any surface against any opponent on any day in any year, and you are probably going to be like 'Novak is probably going to be the best one out of everyone'. I would say personally."
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Canada Masters
Novak Djokovic withdrew from the National Bank Open a week ago, opting for more rest following his title loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
In a thrilling five-set encounter on Centre Court, Alcaraz emerged victorious 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 against the Serb.
Djokovic withdrew from the only Canadian ATP Tour stop citing fatigue, according to Tennis Canada. The 36-year-old has four Canadian Open singles titles to his name.