Saudi Arabia could be continuing its move into tennis, with Laver Cup co-founder Tony Godsick admitting that he expects them to be ‘part of this discussion’ as a potential future host.

The Laver Cup was founded in 2017 by 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and Godsick’s management company, Team8, alongside businessman Jorge Paulo Lemann and Tennis Australia.

Its premise is similar to golf’s Ryder Cup, pitting Team Europe against Team World, with the European’s currently leading 4-2.

In 2019 the tournament became an official ATP event and Godsick has now discussed Saudi Arabia moving into the sport in a recent interview, “Saudi Arabia has become big in sports….in golf, in Formula 1, in football, in boxing. But for a long time now.

“Tennis is also not entirely new [to Saudi Arabia] anymore; show [exhibition] events have taken place in the past; the NextGen Finals were recently held there. Sport is a language that everyone speaks. Sport can enable dialogue and change. Tennis is late to the party, I would say.”

The Next Gen Finals are set to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, until 2027 and the nation’s capital is also hosting an exhibition in October featuring Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.

New location. New venue. New era. #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/hE2Y5ktH5v

— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) August 24, 2023

Godsick was then asked about whether he could see the Laver Cup being held in Saudi Arabia, “Sure. One day the Laver Cup could be in Saudi Arabia.

“We rotate between European cities and cities in the rest of the world. I expect Saudi Arabia will be part of this discussion at some point in the future. We have not been contacted by them yet, but many in the region have.”

The Laver Cup alternates between being hosted in Europe and the rest of the world every year, but has only been in North America outside of Europe so far.

Last year the tournament was held in Vancouver and will return to Europe later this year in Berlin, Germany.

Inside the baseline…

It just seems an inevitability that Saudi Arabia is going to move more and more into tennis, and tournaments will want to follow where the money is. Considering that outside of Europe the Laver Cup has only been held in North America, it would be nice to see them diversify a bit more, but perhaps into a more tennis popular nation like Argentina or Mexico.

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Jannik Sinner has been compared to 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer by skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, following the Italian’s maiden Grand Slam triumph.

Sinner became the first Australian Open singles champion from Italy this time last week, after fighting back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final.

And Vonn, who is a big fan of tennis, revealed that she was not surprised Sinner was victorious in Melbourne, “He’s just a great athlete, very smart and I’m not surprised that he won Australia. I thought he would win before he did, but he’s someone that’s going to be around for a long time.”

Sinner is also no stranger to skiing, having competed growing up, but elected to choose tennis and has come to know Vonn in recent years.

Vonn went onto draw comparisons of Sinner to former No.1 Federer, “He really reminds me of Roger, to be honest. If he’s under pressure, and he’s got to serve, he’s got match point or something, the perspective is that if he misses the point, nothing is going to happen.”

The 2010 Olympic champion continued, “It’s not like in skiing, where if you don’t take the turn right, you crash, and you could potentially hurt yourself very badly. So it’s the kind of fearlessness that he puts everything out there no matter what the situation. And that perspective, I think, is really different from most people, most athletes, and I think he uses that to his advantage.

“In just the few years that I’ve known him, I definitely see his confidence level growing. He’s talked about it publicly, but [he is] just getting stronger physically. He’s a really tall, lanky man and he’s definitely trying to fill that out and get stronger. But he’s just maturing, he’s growing and he’s only going to get better. I’m excited to watch him continue to succeed in his career.”

Let’s F*ing go Jan!!!!! ???????????????????????? @janniksin https://t.co/qvfox5mA2t

— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) January 27, 2024

Sinner has elected to skip defending his title in Marseille next week, but will return for the ATP Tour for the event in Rotterdam beginning 12th February.

Inside the baseline…

It is obviously too early to know whether Jannik Sinner’s career will become anywhere near that of Roger Federer’s, but the Italian’s mentality is definitely something that stands out as a huge positive. This showed hugely in the Australian Open final against Daniil Medvedev, where Sinner had to really dig dip in his first major final to produce an almighty comeback against a very strong opponent.

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Holger Rune has split with coach Severin Luthi, having only started working with the Swiss in December.

Rune appointed Boris Becker as his head coach in October and two months later it was announced that the responsibility would be shared with Roger Federer’s coach of 15 years, in the aforementioned Luthi.

Very happy to welcome Severin to my team alongside Boris ???? pic.twitter.com/ZGsOzojfNZ

— Holger Rune (@holgerrune2003) December 20, 2023

However, after his disappointing second round defeat to French wildcard Arthur Cazaux at the Australian Open, Rune’s mother and manager, Aneke Rune, has announced that they have split when speaking to TV2.

“The timing with Severin was not quite right. Holger needs a coach who is with him all the time and a super coach,” revealed Aneke. “Severin will be able to cover too few weeks for the continuity that Holger needs.”

Although Holger Rune faced disappointment at the first major of 2024, he did reach the final of the Brisbane International under Luthi’s mentorship.

Aneke Rune has also confirmed that her son will now be working with former top 50 compatriot Kenneth Carlsen, who worked with Holger Rune during his junior days.

“With the constellation Boris and Kenneth, Holger gets the flow he wants for his development and stability. Boris and Kenneth have been in contact since pre-season, when Kenneth was already considered for the coaching team,” explained Aneke. “And from now on, the majority of all the big tournaments will be with both coaches, it goes on.

“For Holger, it is absolutely right to expand the planned collaboration with Kenneth, with whom he also trained for several periods during his junior years.”

Rune will play his first match since the announcement of the split with Luthi tomorrow at the ATP 250 event in Montpellier, when he takes on Spanish qualifier Pablo Llamas Ruiz.

Good to be back in Montpellier @OpenSuddeFrance ???????? pic.twitter.com/mzobtdnafM

— Holger Rune (@holgerrune2003) January 30, 2024

Inside the baseline…

Holger Rune seemed very positive on Severin Luthi after his first round win at the Australian Open this year, but sometimes schedules don’t always match up. What can be said is that at least he had a replacement already lined up in fellow Dane, Kenneth Carlsen, who he appears to already have an established relationship. It will be interesting to see how this partnership plays out alongside Boris Becker, especially as his fellow young rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are now both major champions.

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As the 2024 Australian Open moves into its latter stages, we wanted to look back at some of the most successful male singles players from over the years at the Grand Slam down under.

Here are the six players with the most men’s singles titles in the history of the Australian Open:

4=. Jack Crawford (4 titles)

This list begins in 1931 with Jack Crawford, who is alongside two other players with four Australian Open singles titles.

Crawford’s first major title came when he was 22-years-old, when the tournament was known as the Australian Championships and was played on grass.

With it being very early on into the Amateur Era, every player in the 1931 men’s singles draw was Australian, with Crawford as the top seed.

At this stage, Crawford had already won two Australian Championships doubles titles alongside Harry Hopman, but had not reached the final of the singles tournament.

However, that all changed in 1931, as Crawford sailed into the final and dropped only one set on the way.

In the final, Crawford would play that of his aforementioned doubles partner Hopman, who he would beat in four sets to win his first Grand Slam singles title.

They would lose the doubles final together, but Crawford managed to get his hands on the mixed doubles title with his wife Marjorie Cox Crawford.

Jack Crawford would go onto win the Australian Championships title in 1932, beating Hopman in the final again, and 1933 in the most successful season of his career.

In 1933, the Australian would win the singles titles at his home major, the French Championships and Wimbledon Championships, before reaching the US Championships final.

In this final, Crawford was bidding to become the first man in history to complete the Calendar Grand Slam, but fell short in a five set defeat to Fred Perry.

Crawford’s final Australian Championships singles title came in 1935, where he would enact revenge over Perry after three Grand Slam final defeats to the Brit.

1⃣st @AustralianOpen Title ?#OnThisDay in 1934 Fred Perry defeated to Jack Crawford to win in Melbourne pic.twitter.com/7VIrAaQWNr

— LTA (@the_LTA) January 27, 2021

He would go onto reach the final again in 1936 and 1940, but could not add to his decorated trophy cabinet on these occasions.

4=. Ken Rosewall (4 titles)

The next player with four Australian Open titles is Ken Rosewall, who is the only player in this list to have triumphed at the major tournament in both the Amateur and Open Era.

Rosewall won his first Australian Championships when he was only 18-years-old, in his third appearance at his home Grand Slam.

The Australian comfortably beat top seed Mervyn Rose in the final, 6-0 6-3 6-4, to become the youngest men’s singles champion at the tournament.

He was unable to replicate this in 1954, with Rose getting revenge in a five-set match in the semi-finals.

However, Rosewall returned to Melbourne the following year in impressive fashion and dropped only one set en route to his second Australian Championships singles crown.

Rosewall failed to defend his title once again in 1956, being beaten in the final by compatriot and top seed Lew Hoad.

After winning the US Championships at the end of the year, Rosewall was part of a select group of players who elected to become professional and was therefore unable to compete at Grand Slam tournaments until the Open Era began in 1968.

Rosewall won the first Open Era major tournament at Roland Garros, but did not return to the Australian Open final until 1971.

With top seed Rod Laver facing a shock third round defeat, Rosewall capitalised and beat Arthur Ashe to claim his third Australian Open title and first without dropping a set.

On this day: in 1971 Ken Rosewall defeats Arthur Ashe 6-1 7-5 6-3 in the last #AusOpen final played outside Melbourne, at White City, Sydney. Rosewall’s third Australian title, at age 36, came an astonishing 16 years since his second, as a 20-year-old in 1955. #50YearsOpen pic.twitter.com/LW7M8H5R5C

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2018

At 37-years-old, Rosewall finally defended his home major in 1972 and stands as the oldest Australian Open men’s singles champion.

Rosewall is also the player to have the largest gap between their first and last Australian Open singles title, with 19 years between the two successes.

4=. Andre Agassi (4 titles)

Andre Agassi is the third and final man to hold four Australian Open singles titles, but he actually did not play at the tournament for the first eight years of his career!

The American’s first trip down under came in 1995 and it was a roaring success, as he cruised to his sixth Grand Slam final without dropping a set.

The then 24-year-old would play top seed and defending champion Pete Sampras in the final, with Agassi fighting back after losing the first set to win his first Australian Open title and third Grand Slam.

Agassi was unable to defend his Australian Open title in 1996 and did not reach the final of the Melbourne major again until 2000.

This route to the final was less comfortable, with world No.1 Agassi having to fight from two-sets-to-one down against aforementioned rival Sampras in the semi-final.

In his fourth consecutive Grand Slam final, Agassi would play second seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov and he beat the Russian, 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-4.

Agassi would defend the Australian Open title for the first time in 2001, despite dropping down the rankings after some relatively poor Grand Slam results at the other three majors.

As the sixth seed, he dropped only one set en route to the semi-final, where he would play home favourite Pat Rafter.

Rafter was only one set away from victory, before struggling with cramp, to which Agassi capitalised and beat the Australian in what turned out to be his final match at his home Grand Slam.

It was a more routine victory in the final for Agassi, who beat surprise finalist Arnaud Clement in straight sets to claim his third title in Melbourne.

The final Australian Open title of Agassi’s career came in 2003, having missed out the previous year through injury.

At 32-years-old, Agassi dropped only one set en route to the final, where he would beat 31st seed Rainer Schuettler in straight sets.

Not only was this his final Australian Open title, but it was also the final Grand Slam triumph of his decorated career.

Although Agassi elected not to travel for the tournament in the early stages of his career, the Grand Slam down under ended up being his most successful.

Unsurprisingly, the American has since admitted his ‘regrets’ of not participating at the tournament more in his 20-year career.

2=. Roy Emerson (6 titles)

Taking a step back to the Amateur Era is where we find Roy Emerson, who won a total of six Australian Championship singles titles.

Having suffered an agonising five set semi-final defeat to eventual champion Rod Laver in 1960, Emerson bounced back to create a rematch with his compatriot in the 1961 final.

Both players had not dropped a single set en route to this final, so something had to give, and it was Laver who took the opening set before Emerson fought back to beat the top seed and claim his first Grand Slam singles title.

Laver took revenge over Emerson in the 1962 final, before he turned professional and could therefore not compete at the majors until 1968.

Emerson decided not to turn professional and certainly took advantage of Laver’s absence, claiming the Australian Championship title every year from 1963-1967.

Not only did Emerson dominate the singles event, but he also won three doubles titles with Neale Fraser, Fred Stolle and the aforementioned Laver.

2=. Roger Federer (6 titles)

Roger Federer matched the legendary Emerson in 2018, with the Swiss’ six titles coming over a much longer 14-year period.

Having won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, Federer headed into the 2004 Australian Open as the second seed, knowing that he would become world No.1 with a title.

And Federer did just that, reaching his first final in Melbourne before beating former No.1 Marat Safin in straight sets to claim his maiden Australian Open crown.

Safin got revenge in the 2005 semi-finals, despite Federer having match points, but it was not long before he would be succeeding in Melbourne once again.

In 2006 Federer entered the Australian Open as the top seed, and managed to battle his way into the final against the unseeded Cypriot, Marcos Baghdatis.

The world No.1 had won their three previous meetings and that head-to-head showed, with Federer beating Baghdatis in four sets to claim his second Australian Open title.

He would go onto defend the Melbourne major for the first time in 2007, in by far his most comfortable Australian Open campaign.

That year Federer became the second man to win the Australian Open without dropping a set, joining Ken Rosewall after triumphing in the final against Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.

Although Federer managed to reach at least the semi-final of the tournament until 2014, he only won another title in this time.

The Swiss was beaten in a five set classic final by rival Rafael Nadal in 2009, but returned the following year with avengence.

Defending champion Nadal had retired in the quarter-final with a right knee injury, to which Federer took advantage and beat Andy Murray in a straight sets victory in the final.

Federer’s next Australian Open title did not come until seven years later, after undergoing knee surgery the year prior.

As the 17th seed, Federer survived tests from the likes of Kei Nishikori and compatriot Stan Wawrinka to return to the final in Melbourne.

The then 35-year-old would play Nadal in the final once again in another five set classic, but this time it was Federer that got the better of the Spaniard to win his first Grand Slam title since 2012.

Federer won his final Grand Slam and Australian Open title the following year, reaching the final without dropping a single set.

Marin Cilic would be Federer’s opponent, in a rematch of the 2017 Wimbledon final, and the latter outlasted the Croatian in another five set final.

As a result, Federer claimed his sixth Australian Open title and became the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles.

Roger Federer signing off

Thanks for the magic! pic.twitter.com/qr9Wbw9JTf

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) September 23, 2022

1. Novak Djokovic (10 titles)

The only active player in this list and the clear frontrunner is Novak Djokovic, who has won an astounding 10 Australian Open titles in his incredible career.

Djokovic began his reign in Melbourne in 2008, reaching his first final without dropping a set, that included ending the 21-match tournament winning streak of Roger Federer in the semi-final.

He would play fellow first-time Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final, and bounced back from losing the first set to claim his first ever Grand Slam title.

However, the Serbian could not defend the title and made two consecutive quarter-final appearances in 2009 and 2010.

Djokovic did regain the Australian Open title in 2011, dropping only a single set in his second round match against Ivan Dodig and went onto beat Andy Murray in the final.

It was less comfortable for Djokovic in 2012, having to overcome five set thrillers with Murray and Rafael Nadal in the semi-final and final, respectively.

The iconic final with Nadal lasted a total of five hours and 53 minutes, which is the longest Grand Slam final in history.

Djokovic’s toughest match at the 2013 Australian Open came in the fourth round against 15th seed Stan Wawrinka, in another thrilling match that lasted over five hours and finished 12-10 in the decider.

In the final, Djokovic beat Murray once again, enabling him to claim his third consecutive title in Melbourne.

Wawrinka inflicted revenge on Djokovic the following year, but it would not be long until the world No.1 would regain his dominance once again.

The Djokovic-Wawrinka Australian Open rivalry continued in 2015, with the former winning the five set semi-final on this occasion before beating Murray in the final.

It would be a historic sixth title in Melbourne for Djokovic in 2016, inflicting more Australian Open pain on Murray with a fourth tournament final victory over the Brit.

Surprisingly, Djokovic failed to surpass the fourth round in either of the next two years, but regained his stranglehold of the Grand Slam down under in 2019.

It was in this year that Djokovic would become the most successful man at the tournament in history with a record seventh title, which would be extended in 2020 and 2021.

However, controversy struck in 2022 when Djokovic was deported from Melbourne due to his Covid-19 vaccination status and was unable to play the tournament.

Despite this setback, Djokovic returned to the Australia the following year, after rules were changed, and continued as he left off.

Djokovic dropped a single set en route to the final, where he would beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to claim a historic and emotional 10th Australian Open title.

The 36-year-old was unable to extend his dominance this year, after losing in his first ever semi-final at the tournament to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

READ MORE: Women with the most Australian Open singles titles

Top 5: Men with the most Australian Open titles in the Open Era

With the previous list focussing on the entire history of the Australian Open, we at Tennishead also wanted to make a seperate one since the tournament became professional in 1969:

1. Novak Djokovic (10 titles)

2. Roger Federer (6 titles)

3. Andre Agassi (4 titles)

4. Mats Wilander (3 titles)

5. Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras, Ken Rosewall, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, Stefan Edberg, Johan Kriek, Ivan Lendl, John Newcombe & Guillermo Vilas (2 titles)

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Novak Djokovic has revealed that he doesn’t think Roger Federer was a fan of himself in the early stages of his career, suggesting that ‘the top guys’ didn’t like his ambitious and confident nature. 

Djokovic continued his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title yesterday, beating 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Rod Laver Arena to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open once again.

Novak Djokovic ???? ?? ????! ?

A straight-set 6-3 6-3 7-6(2) victory over Tomas Martín Etcheverry books the world No. 1's place in the last 16! ?@DjokerNole | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/IXBeGgwuTh

— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 19, 2024

In his press conference after the match, Djokovic was asked if any players were critical of him when he first arrived on the tour, to which he responded, “That’s a good question. I mean, I know certainly Federer didn’t like the way I was behaving at the beginning. I think it didn’t sit with him well. I don’t know about the others.”

The world No.1 continued, “I guess I wasn’t the favourite type of guy to some of the top guys because I was not afraid to say that I want to be the best player in the world. I was kind of – not kind of – I was confident, and I felt like I have the game to back it up.

“I never, ever lacked respect. Whenever I start a match, before the match or finish the match, I would always greet the opponent, always acknowledge. Respect is something that I was taught that needs to be present regardless of what is happening.”

And there is some evidence to suggest that Federer was not always impressed with Djokovic’s antics, with the Swiss making this comment during a Davis Cup tie back in 2006, “I don’t trust his [Djokovic’s] injuries. I’m serious. I think he’s a joke, you know, when it comes down to his injuries.”

Djokovic went onto suggest that these critiques have helped spur him onto further success, “It was fuelling me even more. I mean, if I made a mistake, I would admit it and, of course, say I make a mistake, I raise my hand, I apologise or whatever. But if the criticism came with no particular reason I think, then I would just keep going the kind of direction that I chose, and that’s it

“I knew and I know today that you can’t have everyone liking you, who you are, how you play, how you behave, what you talk about. It’s normal. We’re all different. We are all different preferences.”

Djokovic will need no extra motivation tomorrow, when he plays Adrian Mannarino for a place in the 14th Australian Open quarter-final of his career.

Inside the baseline…

Novak Djokovic has had plenty of critics over the years, some justified and others significantly less justified. It is important that he can acknowledge that his behaviour was not always appreciated by some of his peers, as he now sits as one of the senior plays on the tennis circuit and a role model to many other upcoming players.

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Holger Rune has began his Australian Open campaign in winning style with the former coach of Roger Federer, revealing that he feels like he has a part of his ‘childhood idol’ with him.

Rune beat Yoshihito Nishioka, 6-2 4-6 7-6(3) 6-4, earlier today on Rod Laver Arena in a match that lasted three hours and 25 minutes.

The 20-year-old spoke about the difficulties in the match after progressing to the second round, “It’s tough, but it’s always exciting to start the first round. The conditions were hot and dry so it was difficult. The ball was fast but it was good to start with a match like this. I had to fight and I’m just happy to play some very good tennis at the end.”

The Dane has continued his partnership with Boris Becker, while also adding Severin Luthi, who was part of Federer’s team from 2007 until his recent retirement in 2022.

And he spoke about Federer after the match, “It’s amazing [to have Federer’s coach]. Roger is my childhood idol so it’s great to have a bit of him in my team. It’s cool and thanks to my team and all you guys for supporting me.”

Very happy to welcome Severin to my team alongside Boris ? pic.twitter.com/ZGsOzojfNZ

— Holger Rune (@holgerrune2003) December 20, 2023

Rune now moves onto play French wildcard Arthur Cazaux, who won his first ever Grand Slam singles match earlier today, in a first-time meeting between the pair on Thursday.

Inside the baseline…

Holger Rune seems to be compiling a very strong team at the moment, currently having the former coaches of both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. It was a strong start for the Dane in Melbourne against a tricky opponent in Yoshihito Nishioka, who he had lost to in their only previous meeting. It bodes well for Rune, who has a good opportunity in his quarter of the draw to achieve a best ever result at the Australian Open.

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Rafael Nadal says his rivalry with Roger Federer is more iconic than his one with Novak Djokovic due to the striking clash of styles.

Nadal’s career has seen him go from a bitter rivalry with Federer early in his career to battling Djokovic.

No two players have played each other on more occasions than Nadal and Djokovic. They have faced each other 59 times with the Serbian shading it 30-29.

However, it’s the rivalry with Federer that is still talked about more, with many considering it the greatest that tennis has ever seen.

For Nadal, though, it was the stark clash or personalities and playing styles that is the reason it’s still so highly regarded.

Asked by El Pais why his rivalry with Federer is more revered than his one with Djokovic, Rafael Nadal said: “There are several factors.

“Some I won’t tell you because it’s difficult for me, it’s not my place to comment on them. But in terms of tennis, it’s clear.

“It’s a combination of very radical styles. Roger was perfection in terms of aesthetics, elegance, & technique.

“I have very good technique, but technique is not the same as aesthetics. They are two different things. He had incredible technique, doing things beautifully with impressive elegance.

“When I arrived, he was the number one in the world and a rival with long hair and an exuberant physique emerges. Elegance against a warrior.

“There was a unique combination of personalities and styles and that, combined with playing many matches on the most important stages, turned our rivalry into something that transcended more than any other match.”

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Novak Djokovic has been named European Sportsperson of the Year for a fifth time, equalling the record of retired rival Roger Federer.

Djokovic has had another impressive season, winning the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the US Open, as well as two Masters 1000 titles and the year-end ATP Finals.

These achievements have enabled the Serb to finish the year as world No.1 for a record eighth time, fending off Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.

The European Sportsperson of the Year Award is voted for by 27 different international news agencies, with Djokovic beating Max Verstappen (Formula One) and Armand Duplantis (Athletics), who finished in second and third place respectively.

Novak Djokovic has been crowned European Sportsperson of the Year for a fifth time! ? pic.twitter.com/upUfXmnvle

— Eurosport (@eurosport) December 27, 2023

Djokovic has now won this award on five different occasions, equalling the aforementioned Federer with the most of any athlete in this award.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion will take this victory into the 2024 season, that he will begin at the United Cup in Perth against Chinese No.1 Zhizhen Zhang.

Inside the baseline…

It would be hard to argue that Novak Djokovic does not deserve this award after the season he has just had. The Serbian’s win continues tennis’ incredible dominance of this category, having won the award four out of the past six years, with WTA No.1 Iga Swiatek winning the award last year.

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic reveals he’s ‘hopeful’ of playing beyond 40-years-old

Novak Djokovic and other tennis European Sportsperson winners

The European Sportsperson of the Year award began back in 1958 and has seen a total of seven different tennis players take home the honour:

5 – Novak Djokovic (2011, 2015, 2018, 2021 & 2023)

5 – Roger Federer (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2009)

2 – Rafael Nadal (2008 & 2010)

2 – Steffi Graf (1988 & 1989)

1 – Iga Swiatek (2022)

1 – Stefan Edberg (1990)

1 – Martina Hingis (1997)

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Novak Djokovic spent too much time early in his career wanting to be like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the expense of his own authenticity, says Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Djokovic was the last of the big three to come into tennis but he has now surpassed both Federer and Nadal in terms of the statistics.

Where he probably hasn’t surpassed them is in the popularity stakes, and Tsonga believes that used to bother Djokovic to the point where he would try to present himself similarly to them.

However, Tsonga says those days are long behind him, and now he is truly loved for the athlete and character he is.

Speaking on the Generation Do It Yourself Podcast, Tsonga said: “Why do some people hate Djokovic?

“Because I think there was a period where he didn’t really want to be himself. He wanted to be Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal, and maybe he should have stayed himself from the beginning.”

“Today, he is himself, completely honest, while being divisive, and that’s also why he is appreciated by many people.

“He no longer does things to be appreciated but because he wants to. I think you gain a lot from being yourself.

Came to see Djokovic’s beach football skills and stayed for his ???? ?????! pic.twitter.com/UPFQdKkpp4

— Eurosport (@eurosport) December 19, 2023

“For a moment, he wanted to get out of this warrior image that he has. He experienced difficult things in his childhood. So in reality, he is a warrior!

“And he would have had to assume that from the start, and I think he would have been even more appreciated, that he would have been loved for that, like the gladiators.”

Novak Djokovic ‘hated’ for being too good?

One man who may disagree with Tsonga is Patrick Mouratoglou, who also recently spoke about the level of popularity Novak Djokovic enjoys compared to the big three.

He has a slightly different take, claiming that Djokovic’s unpopularity at times isn’t due to inauthenticity at all, but rather being authentically better than Nadal and Federer.

“Rafa and Roger were the biggest superstars of tennis, but Novak Djokovic came in and beat both of them and the crowds hated him for that,” Mouratoglou said at the ultimate Tennis Showdown in London.

“I think he is booed for other reasons as well. He says he doesn’t like this negativity, but sometimes he pushes the crowd to boo him because it helps him during the matches.”

Djokovic is too often cast as the third wheel in the Big Three when it comes to popularity, with many claiming he isn’t as loved as Nadal and Federer.

“What we should not forget is has 14 million followers on Instagram. He is a huge hero in Serbia. He is the biggest name in tennis and we will all miss him when he stops playing the sport.”

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The post Novak Djokovic ‘wanted to be Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer,’ claims former player appeared first on Tennishead.

Novak Djokovic is disliked simply because beat Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, claims Patrick Mouratoglou.

Djokovic has all but ended the GOAT debate in the last 12 months with him winning three more majors to take the lead in the Grand Slam race.

He has also passed 400 weeks at world number one as well as collecting or extending a plethora of other tennis records.

Those records speak for themselves, yet Djokovic has still had to endure hostile crowds all season.

That, though, according to Mouratoglou, is simply down to anger that he dared to be better than Nadal and Federer and not only muscled his way into the GOAT debate but ultimately won it.

“Rafa and Roger were the biggest superstars of tennis, but Novak Djokovic came in and beat both of them and the crowds hated him for that,” Mouratoglou said at the ultimate Tennis Showdown in London.

“I think he is booed for other reasons as well. He says he doesn’t like this negativity, but sometimes he pushes the crowd to boo him because it helps him during the matches.”

Djokovic is too often cast as the third wheel in the Big Three when it comes to popularity, with many claiming he isn’t as loved as Nadal and Federer.

Mouratoglou, though, believes that is absolute nonsense and people underestimate just how much love there is out there for Djokovic.

“What we should not forget is has 14 million followers on Instagram,” he said. “He is a huge hero in Serbia. He is the biggest name in tennis and we will all miss him when he stops playing the sport.”

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