Juan Martin del Potro has explained what he thinks Novak Djokovic needs to do in order to be considered the greatest of all time.
No male player has won more Grand Slam titles than the Serbian in the history of the game. As a result, it would appear that he has very little to prove when it comes to debating the greatest.
Djokovic has proved of late, however, that his invincible days are coming to an end. He was beaten by Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open and lost to a lucky loser in Luca Nardi at Indian Wells.
Now, Del Potro has weighed into the greatest-ever debate that is naturally always ongoing. He’s been explaining what it would take for Djokovic to claim that title.
What Juan Martin del Potro has said about Novak Djokovic
It’s kind of a bit tedious in all sports when talk turns to the greatest of all time. People will always have their favourites and it’s fair to say that Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will all be in the equation.
Of course, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the greatest male tennis player of all time. However, Del Potro thinks he knows what it would take for Djokovic to close the case on the argument.
He told Punto De Break: “Each one was the best in history at different times. In the period from 2006 to 2009, Roger was unbeatable, but if you went to clay there Rafa was the best.
“Novak still had a long way to go. He won more titles than them and it is still being discussed. I believe that if he wins a couple more Grand Slams, there will no longer be a discussion no matter how many fans there are of Roger and Rafa.”
Del Potro has a point and Djokovic is in the mix
Given the number of major titles he’s won, it’s not hard for people to believe that Djokovic is the best. However, other factors do have to come into play.
For starters, Federer and Nadal spent all of their careers competing with each other. It’s fair to say that the field hasn’t always been quite so strong for some of the majors that Djokovic has won.
Still, it’s hard to knock the player who has brought so much entertainment to the game. He’s won majors, he’s entertained and at 36-years-old, it’s fair to say he does have longevity.
With Sinner beating him at the Australian Open, however, it will be telling to see what that has done for his rivals. They now know that he’s beatable and others will fancy a crack at him.
The greatest of all time debate will rumble on. In our view, it’s very simply to make a case for Federer, Nadal or Djokovic and it will likely take more than just a few more majors from the Serbian to stop people discussing it.
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