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LONDON. — With a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam tennis title secured, Novak Djokovic has time and winning momentum on his side in the race to be crowned the greatest player of all time.
The world number one went level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 majors with a sixth Wimbledon title thanks to his four-set win over Italy’s Matteo Berrettini on Sunday.
The 34-year-old has won eight majors and appeared in nine Grand Slam finals since turning 30.
Incredibly, when Federer secured his 20th at the 2018 Australian Open, Djokovic was still way back on 12.
“He’s amazing. He’s like in the movies. You have to kill the guy 27 times and still he gets up and you have to kill him again and he gets up,” said Goran Ivanisevic, one of the Serb’s coaching team.
“The guy is unbeatable at the moment. For me Novak is the best ever. He’s writing history.”
Ivanisevic believes that Djokovic’s coronation as the greatest male player of all time will come at the US Open in September.
A fourth career title there will make him only the third man in history to complete a calendar Grand Slam of all four majors after Don Budge in 1938 and Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969.
“He’s going to do it at the US Open. I strongly believe he’s going to win all four in one year. Then I think the debate is over,” said Ivanisevic.
At 34, Djokovic is a year younger than Nadal and has the best part of six years on Federer who turns 40 in four weeks’ time.
Nadal skipped Wimbledon after losing to Djokovic in a bruising French Open semi-final last month.
A sub-par Federer made a quarter-final exit at the All England Club. — AFP.
Online Reporter