"There are two records that are unattainable, Rafael Nadal's 14 titles at Roland Garros and Novak Djokovic's 400 weeks as No. 1" - Serb's ex-coach
Novak Djokovic's former coach Nikola Pilic recently gave his views on which tennis records won't be broken in the future. According to Pilic, one of those records is held by his one-time pupil, while the other by his arch-rival Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic enjoyed yet another fruitful season in 2023 as he won three Major titles and the ATP Finals, and also attained 400 weeks as the top-ranked player. Despite not competing as much as his peers, the Serb performed well enough in the big tournaments to maintain his stranglehold over the rankings.
In a recent interview with Serbian outlet Kurir, Pilic stated that Djokovic's results have established him as the best player in the history of tennis.
"Since last year, I have been repeating that Nole is the GOAT and I will repeat and say that until everyone starts talking about it," Pilic said.
Pilic pointed out that when the Serb is truly focused and plays at a high level, it doesn't matter who's standing on the other side of the net. The Croat highlighted how Djokovic is still giving youngsters like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner a run for their money.
"Of the 20 or 21 tournaments that Djokovic plays in a year, five or six tournaments he plays in sixth gear, and when he plays like that it doesn't even matter who is on the other side. He showed that he is still above Alcaraz and Sinner and that is primarily because of his mental strength and self-confidence," Pilic said.
Pilic believes that only two records in tennis are going to withstand the test of time - Djokovic's massive 400 weeks and counting as the World No. 1, and Rafael Nadal's 14 titles at the French Open.
"I keep saying that there are two records that, in my understanding of tennis, are unattainable, those are Nadal's 14 titles at Roland Garros and Novak's 400 weeks in first place, which will be 410 until the Australian Open. I have been watching tennis for 65 years and these are all-time records," Pilic said.
Novak Djokovic to lead Serbia in the Davis Cup Finals
While Novak Djokovic's individual season has come to an end, he still has Davis Cup duties to tend to. Fresh off his triumph at the ATP Finals on Sunday, the World No. 1 has landed in Malaga for the Davis Cup Finals, in a bid to spearhead the Serbian challenge.
They will face Great Britain for a spot in the semifinals on Thursday, November 23. Djokovic will take on Cameron Norrie in his singles tie, as the two are the highest-ranked players from their respective teams.
Djokovic could also be called in to compete for the decisive doubles tie if the need arises. Laslo Djere, Dusan Lajovic, Miomir Kecmanovic, and Hamad Medjedovic join the 36-year old in representing Team Serbia.