Getting on people’s GOAT isn’t the same as being one

TO be the greatest is about so much more than numbers.

Success is important, but it’s also about what you do for your sport, how you behave and your legacy.

In the case of Novak Djokovic, I think we can say he won’t ever be considered the tennis GOAT.

If this was purely about the numbers, then, yes, one day Djokovic will be considered the greatest male player because his grand slam stats will surely overtake those of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.

But he will never transcend this sport.

Irrespective of the visa farce that has dominated the headlines this month, the idea that Djokovic will ever be considered the tennis GOAT above Federer, Nadal, Rod Laver and others leaves a lot to be desired.

Has he been part of the greatest era of all time? Yes, for sure. But it seems the further into his career Djokovic plays, the worse his reputation gets. Nadal and Federer edging closer to retirement will do nothing to help his reputation, either.

I don’t think we will see Federer play again, but that doesn’t mean people are suddenly going to become Djokovic fans.

Recent weeks won’t have helped. Fact is, Djokovic has a strong supporter base but he is not universally loved.

Longevity and influence on and off the court, as well as stats, were part of the criteria for this list. Looking at the two players above Novak, Serena Williams and Roger will always be remembered for going above and beyond for their sport. They seemingly did the impossible and inspired the incredible.

In the same way Tiger Woods transcends golf, these two are everything to tennis and always will be. They are the Michael

Jordans of tennis. You can’t put Novak in the same breath.

Federer is rightfully sitting second. Serena is incomparable. In an era when sport became far more professional, to have been so dominant across multiple decades, how can you argue with that? She’s pure dominance.

She’s reinvented her game time and again, but what she’s done off the court as an activist for equality is unbelievable. She’s shown so many minorities there are no barriers.

She’s not alone in such offcourt achievements.

Women’s tennis would not be what it is today without Billie Jean King.

What BJK and Serena have both done cannot be underestimated and will never be forgotten.

That’s the legacy of someone worthy of being called GOAT.