Novak Djokovic is perhaps the most underappreciated sports star to have ever graced the world.
Not because he doesn’t get plaudits – he gets plenty – but because people seem hell bent on putting across a case to suggest that either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal were better.
The greatest of all time debate will always rumble on and Djokovic does get plenty of love from people who know the game.
However, much like others who quietly go about their business in a dominant fashion, tennis lovers have preferred the swashbuckling style of a Nadal, or an effortless showcase from Federer, rather than the man who has won the most trophies.
To claim 24 Grand Slam titles in an era where Nadal and Federer have featured – with Andy Murray thrown in for good measure – is no mean feat and Djokovic probably deserves more respect.
Whether or not his record of major titles will ever be toppled is proving a hot topic of discussion and now a tennis pundit has had his say on the haul of honours that have gone to the Serbian legend.
Jon Wertheim predicts if Novak Djokovic’s haul of Grand Slam titles will be beaten
Werthem has been discussing Djokovic on The Tennis Channel as part of his work in summarising the Monte Carlo Masters.
The Serbian player’s form has improved lately, with a run to the final at the Miami Open where his quest for glory was ended by Jakub Mensik.
Wertheim has reservations over whether any player on the current ATP Tour is capable of eclipsing the current total of 24 Grand Slam titles that Djokovic has amassed.
He said: “We were talking about that with Nadal. This will be the first Roland Garros without Nadal and someone said the standard is set and now it’s up to the rest of the field to see if they can top it. Are there not some records were you just say I do not have the capacity to imagine that record ever being broken?
“I think we are on for a serious reset. This is like the stock market, where we all need to readjust our expectations. I can see people saying Carlos Alcaraz wasn’t that good, he only won 11 majors in his career. The standards set by Roger, Rafa, Novak and Serena it’s almost silly, and I think what we are seeing this year, week in week out is how much parity there is and how hard it is going to be. In a way this validates the greatness of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic that in normal times you don’t just pencil people into the semi-finals of majors four times a year. In normal times, you don’t have three guys with double-digit majors playing each other in finals.
“You never say never in sports and we all evolve and training gets better. I get all that. But boy!”
The player who could break Novak Djokovic’s record of Grand Slam titles
It’s mental to even hold the discussion given their dominance but Wertheim is right to suggest that Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz might not get close.
The game appears to be growing in competitiveness and if that continues, we could see a situation where a few first-time winners emerge in the next few years.
Sinner and Alcaraz are the dominant players right now, but the future stars shouldn’t be discounted from winning Grand Slams galore in the years to come.
Joao Fonseca has made waves with his hard-hitting style in 2025, whilst Mensik has claimed the biggest title of his career to date.
It’s fascinating to see what might happen in the future, but in our view, Djokovic’s record of Grand Slam titles will take some serious beating.
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