Alexander Zverev picked Novak Djokovic in the GOAT debate, saying that the cold, hard data favours the Serbian.
The tennis GOAT debate has raged on for a long time, with Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal all staking claims to the throne. All three players are 20-time Grand Slam winners, and each one has spent more than 800 weeks at the top of the player rankings.
The differences between the trio come down to playing style, popularity with fans and their longevity. It is what makes the discussion interesting.
However, Zverev picked Djokovic in the GOAT debate, and said that on raw stats and data, he is clear of the other two.
“I know a lot of tennis fans are more for Roger or Rafa, but you can’t argue against the statistics,” he said, as quoted by ubitennis.
“Novak has won the most Grand Slams with Roger and Rafa. He’s been number one in the world for most weeks and has finished number one most years, Novak has won most of the Masters titles and a lot more.
“You can’t always go against the numbers and say that Roger or Rafa are better because we’ve all been fans of them from an early age. Sometimes you have to look at things realistically and Novak’s records are simply a fact.”
Coaching troubles
Zverev also talked about his separation from former coach Ivan Lendl, and said that it just didn’t click as well as he had hoped.
“It didn’t work out well with Lendl. It’s not a secret,” he said.
“Personally, we may not have been a good match either. We just saw things differently on the tennis court, during training sessions.
“I am someone in my sport too, I am a personality. I am not someone who says yes and amen to everything. I also challenge opinions very often, I always ask why you see it that way and sometimes say, I see it differently.
“You can’t join my team and turn my life and career upside down just because you have a different opinion than me,” he concluded.
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