The discussion on who will be remembered as the greatest male tennis player of all time has persisted for over a decade, and now a fresh perspective has offered its conclusion.
Former top 20 player Wally Masur has given his verdict on the ‘Big Three’ and admitted Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal would all be described as ‘freaks’ after piecing together careers that have re-written the sport’s history books forever.
Novak Djokovic looks set to finish at the head of the pack after he took his Grand Slam title total to 24 by winning the US Open last month, moving him two ahead of Nadal and four ahead of the already-retired Federer.
On the latest episode of The AO Show podcast, Masur spoke about the three greatest players in the history of the men’s game and suggested the trio have much in common.“I’m loathed to predict anything against Novak Djokovic because he rocks out,” he stated.
“I mean as you say, nearly won the calendar slam, a moment away, against Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon. He would’ve had a calendar slam. I mean it’s extraordinary at his age.
“The guy’s a freak and we know that Rafa’s a freak, Roger’s a freak but he’s unbelievable in how meticulous he is.
“He seems to absolutely know how to navigate his way through the two weeks to just be absolutely on song when it matters the most in the semis and the finals.
“You get it throughout the course of the year. He knows how to manage his schedule heading into the Slams, manages his body, his expectations… unbelievable.”
Masur also reflected on Djokovic’s latest Grand Slam final win, as he dismantled Daniel Medvedev at the US Open to take his major tally to new heights.
“The thing that just blew me away against Medvedev in that final, I think he came to the net 44 times,” he added.
“He served and volleyed about 35 times for about a 90 percent strike rate. He was so volleying, picking up shoelace volleys, covering the net like Pat Rafter and Stefan Edberg combined.”
Djokovic is set to return to action later this month at the Paris Masters and will then compete at the ATP Finals in Turin to complete his latest remarkable year.
The Serbian is on course to finish as year-end world No 1 for a record-extending eight time and he has confirmed his appetite for more and more success is not waning.
“I’m going to keep going. You know, I feel good in my own body. I still feel I’ve got the support of my environment, of my team, of my family,” he said after his US Open win.
“The Grand Slams, I have said in the last few years, have been always the highest goal and the priority of mine in the whole season. I don’t play as much in terms of other tournaments, so I try to prioritise my preparation so that I can peak in slams.
“These are the moments and these are the kind of emotions that I motivate myself with every single day when I’m not playing a tournament.
“Yeah, occasionally I ask myself ‘why do I need this still at this stage after all I have done, you know? How long do I want to keep going?’ I do have these questions in my head, of course.
“But knowing that I play at such a high level still, and I win the biggest tournaments in this sport, I don’t want to leave this sport if I’m still at the top, you know, if I’m still playing the way I’m playing.”
If Nobak Djokovic clinches the year-end No 1 ranking, he will move through the 400-week mark at the top of the ATP list, adding another remarkable notch to his legacy.
