by Bob Stockton

There has always been a feeling that Novak Djokovic is playing third fiddle to Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal as he tries his best to keep up with the pace. The narrative focuses squarely on the titanic duel between Federer and Nadal with Djokovic getting an honorable mention from time to time. To be perfectly fair, it’s easy to think that and after all, the Swiss legend and Spanish maestro absolutely deserve the praise that comes there way, but are we all making quite a lazy assumption with regards to Djokovic’s role in all of this?

Unfortunately, the data says, in the most polite way possible of course, that we are being ever so ignorant in our thinking. Let’s start with Grand Slam titles, Djokovic does lag behind Federer’s 20 and Nadals 19 having only won 16, but in the last nine years, the Serb has won 15 Grand Slam titles with Nadal winning 13 and Federer 5.

Djokovic’s head-to-head record against them both is also superior having won 42 and lost only 25, the most notable of late was when he put Federer to the sword to win Wimbledon 2019.

And then you consider that he was the first man since the legendary Aussie Rod Laver to have held all four Grand Slams at the same time and you’re all of a sudden left wondering if indeed Djokovic is the greatest of all time?

But he hasn’t won the most Grand Slams you say and sure, that is true but if he wins all four again in a calendar year then he would have won just as many in the blink of an eye. One must be realistic as well and realize that this is an achievement that only happens every so often, but the omens are good for the first Grand Slam of the year with Djokovic the favorite at 7/4. Punters who feel that Djokovic can win the Australian Open can claim £30 to place on the Serb by reading this article.

This idea that the 32-year-old may be the best of all time will be a hard and maybe even impossible pill to swallow for the legion of fans that Federer and Nadal have. What’s interetsing is that the same argument that is used to defend their right as the game’s greatest – number of Grand Slam titles won – could well come back to haunt them with the Serb now on the charge for ultimate glory.

And as for the longevity needed to overtake his main rivals, both Nadal and Federer have proved that it is possible to win Grand Slams late into your thirties so age shouldn’t be a problem either.

It’s all systems go for Djokovic to finish off his two greatest opponents now that he has put the groundwork in place over the last ten years. There is still another chapter to be written in the history of the Big Three and it may be fair to say that it could be a surprise ending to the one everyone expected.