7 Things I Think I Thought About Novak Djokovic, The GOAT Race And The French Open

It was yet another historic weekend in pro tennis. A common occurrence that we take from granted just about every final weekend of a Grand Slam tournament. I can’t recall when the last time there wasn’t anything major at stake.

We are now 48 hours after Novak Djokovic’s record-breaker win, here are some more thoughts.

1. NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS THE GOAT
The debate is over.

He’s reached 23, he’s won at least three titles at each of the four Grand Slams, he’s made each Slam final at least seven times and he’s got a winning head-to-head over each of his rivals in Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

If you take away all their best results — Djokovic’s 10 Australians, Nadal’ 14 French Opens and Federer’s 8 Wimbledon, the race still would have Djokovic on top:
Djokovic 13
Federer 12
Nadal 8

What’s scary is, there’s room for more, a lot more!

About the only thing missing from Djokovic’s resume is Olympic gold which he can go after next in Paris.

2. 16-9-1
Ha ha. Remember those days? When Federer was at 16 Slams, Nadal 9 and Djokovic 1 at the end of 2010? Djokovic was 15 behind Roger at one point! Now he’s three ahead.

Insane.

3. THE CHALLENGERS
Djokovic’s main rivals are all out of the way.

Roger Federer is retired, Rafael Nadal is close to finished, Andy Murray is no longer a contender for Grand Slams and Stan Wawrinka is hanging on.

So in the near term, who’s left to really bother Djokovic?

Daniil Medvedev is a worthy foe, but maybe not as dangerous on grass.

Carlos Alcaraz has been a supernova, but when facing a great like Djokovic for a first time in a Grand Slam, he locked up (literally).

After that?

Stefanos Tsitsipas is moving on from tennis to live a life of love and romance with Paula Badosa. Andrey Rublev is stuck in an endless loop of hitting forehands 15-feet long during Grand Slam quarterfinals. Casper Ruud needs to actually get rude. Jannik Sinner has all the tools but when will it all “click”, if at all?

Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe might not be mentally strong enough (yet) to win on a big stage.

Bad boys Nick Kyrgios and Holger Rune are both viable threats. Though, one doesn’t work hard enough while the other works too hard!

So there are a few, but not many. Medvedev at the US Open or Australia, and I think Alcaraz will be fine. Rune is a wildcard and Kyrgios can always surprise.

And I do think in 6-12 months, this younger generation will be even a bigger threat. So best for Djokovic clean up now while he can.

4. MENTALITY MATTERS
What we saw this weekend was that mental strength still remains the greatest asset in tennis.

Everyone has all the shots, but do you have it when it matters the most. Iga Swiatek has it. She’s proved it and did so Saturday in that incredible final, turning things around, not panicking.

Djokovic proved it yet again. He no longer has a Top 3 serve, forehand or is among the quickest, but he showed against Alcaraz that mentally he’s on a higher level.

These guys like Alcaraz and Ruud are 12-16 years younger than him. They move quicker, hit it harder, serve bigger but Djokovic finds a way at the crucial moments and doesn’t blink. Like Goran said, Djokovic takes their life.

5. DAMAGED GOODS
And in totality, the Big 3 have had a long, brutal history of crushing the Grand Slam hopes of dreams of generations of players:

Dimitrov, Thiem, Coric, Carreno Busta, Roanic — all damaged
Rublev, Zverev, Berretini, Medvedev, Khachanov, Paul — all damaged (well, maybe not Medvedev)
Ruud, Fritz, Tiafoe, Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov, Tsitsipas — all damaged
Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner, Korda, Brooksby, Shelton, Musetti — let’s see

The Alcaraz group might and should escape the Big 3 mental block, but guys in the older groups with the exception of Medvedev offer little hope of upsetting a Djokovic or Nadal in a Slam. They’ve been there, tried that and repeatedly failed.

But if Djokovic keeps going, he’s going to damage that younger Alcaraz group as well, leaving them with scar tissue for life and what we’ll see is like that 2020 US Open final! Lol.

6. SWIATEK CLUTCH
Now 4-for-4 in Slam finals, Iga’s poise and confidence reminds me of Federer. The Swiss rarely panicked or even showed panic. I see that to a degree with Swiatek. Even though things are not going her way, there’s a calmness that she’ll turn it around.

Just 22, she’s a year young than Elena Rybakina — who also exhibits that same trait, but doesn’t have the overall game and footspeed — and three years junior to Aryna Sabalenka who is on the opposite emotional spectrum to Swiatek and Rybakina.

Swiatek’s a former junior champion at Wimbledon so I think she can do well there. Her issue will be power but on the other surfaces it’s hard to make her an underdog against anyone, and I don’t see any new threats to her reign other than Sabalenka and Rybakina.

Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia may have both peaked. Jessica Pegula seems to also have hit a ceiling. Coco Gauff is a viable threat but that forehand is so shaky.

There are also some young Czech girls plus Mirra Andreeva and a few others, but no one jumps out.

7. MORE THE HISTORY AHEAD
As I wrote at the start, it seems every Grand Slam there’s record books being rewritten.

At Wimbledon we could see Djokovic surpass Serena and tie Court, and also set the all-time mark for Slam finals.

At the US Open we could see the Calendar Slam in play or if he doesn’t win Wimbledon then it’s back to getting 24.

And on and on and on and on….