Novak Djokovic is the best winner since Michael Jordan

• Novak Djokovic received the French Open, breaking the document for many Grand Slam titles in males’s tennis. 
• Djokovic has now received all 4 Grand Slams not less than thrice, a feat matched by solely three girls.
• There are eight different athletes within the dialog however all fall wanting Djokovic’s achievements.

Like him or not, Novak Djokovic is a winner.

He may not be the best athlete ever. He may not even be the best of all time — the GOAT — in tennis.

However for those who have a look at his total profession and what he has completed already, no person else has confirmed to be a greater winner since Michael Jordan dominated the sports activities world within the Nineties.

Jordan was not solely an awesome basketball participant, however he was remarkably aggressive and constructed an aura of invincibility round himself. He had an uncanny skill to will his groups to new heights.

Since Jordan’s reign on the prime of the sports activities world, a number of different athletes have achieved unimaginable ranges of dominance of their respective sports activities. Whereas there are some athletes who could have been extra proficient, no person has received extra typically, extra persistently, and towards higher competitors than Djokovic, making him the best winner since Jordan. 

We are able to begin with Djokovic’s document

Djokovic’s latest win on the latest French Open was his twenty third Grand Slam victory, breaking a tie with Rafael Nadal for probably the most ever. He has received every Grand Slam not less than thrice. That feat is matched by simply three different girls’s gamers. He is additionally received not less than one Grand Slam in 13 completely different seasons and 12 of the final 13 years.  

Djokovic’s accomplishments are extra spectacular contemplating the extraordinary gamers he competed towards.

Arguably, the three biggest gamers in males’s tennis historical past are Djokovic, Nadal, and Roger Federer, they usually all performed on the similar time. Regardless of consistently competing towards two of the very best, Djokovic received 23 Grand Slams and did it extra typically and extra persistently than the opposite two.

Federer will all the time be extra beloved and revered than Djokovic, however he is now retired with 20 Grand Slam titles, whereas Djokovic continues to be going robust. Whereas Federer did win all 4 Slams, he received only a single French Open on the more difficult clay floor.

Nadal has additionally received all 4 Slams, however accidents caught as much as him later in his profession, hurting his possibilities of retaining tempo with Djokovic.

Djokovic’s competitors exterior males’s tennis 

Proclaiming Djokovic the best winner of the previous 25 years is just not accomplished flippantly. There are different worthy candidates, however all of them fall behind him for various causes. 

Serena Williams: If Djokovic is 1a, Serena is 1b. She is arguably the GOAT of tennis and has 23 Grand Slam titles, second solely to Margaret Court docket. However in contrast to Djokovic, we by no means received to see her compete towards and persistently defeat one other all-time nice. The argument for Serena could be stronger if we had seen her compete towards a participant like Steffi Graf. 

Tiger Woods: To place it bluntly, Djokovic is what Woods ought to have been. Accidents, a serious automotive accident, and different off-the-course drama derailed Woods’ profession when he ought to have been difficult Jack Nicklaus’ document for probably the most main championships in males’s golf historical past. As a substitute, we’re left questioning what number of extra trophies he might have received, as he is now semiretired.

Lionel Messi: Messi is within the combine for soccer GOAT and continues to be going robust, with an upcoming transfer to Inter Miami within the works. His assortment of trophies is unmatched, together with seven Ballon d’Ors, an award given to the world’s prime footballer, and 4 Champions League titles. He additionally led Barcelona to 10 La Liga championships and 7 Copa del Rey trophies, typically towards one other all-time nice, Cristiano Ronaldo. So why is not he forward of Djokovic? His lone World Cup title did not come till age 35, as Argentina typically dissatisfied in his earlier makes an attempt. He might have carried out higher within the greatest event extra typically, particularly in his prime — one thing Djokovic by no means had hassle doing.

Tom Brady: The competitors for biggest winner will get a bit extra difficult after we begin staff sports activities, because it’s more difficult to establish how a lot of the New England Patriots’ success was as a result of Brady. It was definitely lots, however he additionally had one of many biggest coaches of all time in Invoice Belichick, and a protection thought of among the many sport’s finest. It helps that Brady left the Patriots and received a Tremendous Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, however you’ll be able to’t say Brady by no means had assist.

LeBron James: The NBA nice is likely one of the biggest athletes of all time and doubtlessly the GOAT of basketball (though in all probability behind Jordan at this level). His consistency deserves to be celebrated. Nonetheless, he hasn’t received typically sufficient to be topped the best winner. James has reached the NBA Finals an unimaginable 10 occasions in 20 seasons, however he is solely 4-6 in these sequence. Whereas three of the wins got here towards groups with all-time or border-all-time greats, James’ groups even have some disappointing playoff losses to lesser groups — most notably in 2011 towards the Mavericks. 

Michael Phelps/Simone Biles/Usain Bolt — All three are at or close to the highest of the listing of biggest Olympians of all time, however it’s powerful to weigh their general success when these athletes are solely within the collective consciousness of common sports activities followers for 2 weeks each 4 years. Phelps received a document 28 medals, together with 23 gold, however he additionally did it in a sport the place there are way more particular person occasions and possibilities to win medals. Biles received seven medals, however all 4 of her gold got here in 2016. Bolt received eight gold medals throughout three completely different Olympics, however he did it in a small subset of working occasions, albeit the occasions with the very best profiles.

All are nice winners, however they path Djokovic, the best winner since Jordan.