Djokovic Sweeps Ruud to Win 23rd Major at Roland Garros | Monday Match Analysis

[@danielrencsenyi917]

I don't recall anyone playing more than one tiebreak in a tournament and not making a single unforced error..Novak has done it in a major, I'm absolutely stunned

[@2soulss]

he's a magician of tiebreak 😂 n Roger learned that in a Wimbly final 🤭

[@SrinivasRao-vd4ki]

It's incredible that Novak won almost half of his GS titles, 11 out of 23, after turning 30. It speaks a lot about his physical fitness and his hunger for titles and his determination to get past Federer and Nadal to create history in terms of achievements

[@miroslavtomic7343]

Novak in early days had health problems, it took a lot of sacrifice to get his conditioning right. He peaked at 24 years old and only had 1 gs prior to that. So he won 11 between the age of 24 and 30.

[@jweeping]

@@miroslavtomic7343 His early "health problems" has to do with his diet. It was in 2010 that he found out from a nutritionist that he was intolerant to gluten. Once he switched to a mainly plant-based gluten-free diet, he started to perform much better.

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

It also has to do with his experience and continual technique improvement (his serve and forehand got honed past his 30s, even his netplay has improved a lot since his 30s). His mind has become stronger since his 30s and his court coverage has become less physique-intensive and he moves more efficiently to maximize stamina management. If you put Nole's technical, tactical and mental improvements in his 27 y.o.'s body, dude would be nearly invincible on big occasions.

[@johndewever1322]

Maybe also says something about his vaccination status

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

@@johndewever1322 Maybe those give cramps... In any case, Nole has been a fitness freak for a long time and that has paid off big time, so let's give him credibility when he says he doesn't vax to maintain his body healthy. He knows something about that after all.

[@bububaba8815]

In reference to the discussion surrounding Djokovic's age and physical prowess, I vividly recall his winner's speech during the 2019 Wimbledon final against Federer. Djokovic, then 32 years old, graciously acknowledged Federer, who was then 38 years old, for his remarkable contribution in demonstrating that tennis players can continue to excel well into their thirties. Djokovic himself, in that speech, expressed his determination to follow in Federer's footsteps and continue playing at a high level as he ages. This 38-year-old Federer played the longest Wimbledon final in history and stated post-match that he could have easily played a lot more if there were no tie-break. In fact, he wished that there was no tiebreak. Essentially, Federer paved the way for Djokovic and the injury-prone Rafa, who has also achieved a similar feat by playing and emerging victorious in the second-longest final in tennis history at the age of 36. Considering Novak's good health, exceptional work ethic, and absence of significant injuries, I believe he will continue playing tennis until he reaches the age of 40 and maybe even beyond, Tom Brady-style! Long may it continue. This is yet another illustration of how the Big 3 have influenced and motivated one another.

[@notturno3448]

Perfectly said!

[@kingnole4237]

That's why Djokovic can win atleast two more wimbledon titles ,if not injured

[@rosaliewright4226]

Hear hear

[@OkieDoke-mo1co]

@@kingnole4237 Yes, it is possible for Djokovic to reach the same level as Federer did at 38 years old, but that milestone seems far off in the distance. For athletes over 35, things can change rapidly - decline can occur suddenly and unexpectedly, sometimes due to injury. That's why I believe this discussion is premature by Gill; it's too early to declare a 36-year-old player as the epitome of longevity. In today's sports, playing until the age of 35 is considered normal, but what comes after that is the true challenge. And when it comes to the argument that Djokovic has won a lot after his 30s, the same can be said for Michael Jordan. Jordan won his last championship rings at the ages of 32, 33, and 34 while being by far the best basketball player in the world.

[@kajjebre]

Federer's steps vanished at 21....then nadal steps continued until Today ONLY STEPS of Novak Djokovic remind...and EVERY tennis player has to walk Novaks path ....

[@leandrolapa8461]

When Federer won his fourth slam in his thirties, he tied the men's record for over-30 slam trophies with Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver. Rafa doubled that old record with his 8, and Novak nearly tripled it with his 11. Quite incredible.

[@rosaliewright4226]

Quite.

[@Gabmenini]

You can tell this guy has a genuine passion for the sport of tennis. Thanks so much for covering every tournament you do man

[@vertbeke7977]

👍

[@TimJapan]

There's the oldest gran slam winner record to go for. I really think there's an added factor of respectability that goes along with holding that particular record. Novac will be a threat for a few more years yet. It will be fun watching him go for a last swan song. But that's NOT now. You can't call what he's doing now a swan song. There doesn't seem to be any sign of decline at 36. In his final phases, I think people will at last give this man the love he deserves for his tireless dedication to the sport.

[@Scott-co4vo]

That will definitely happen

[@danyasinski616]

Thanks for all the great commentary Gill during this French Open, both on this channel and on THREE. You really increase my joy of tennis. Cheers.

[@Mista_Awesomeness]

Goldwolf on life support. Keep him in your thoughts

[@AlexTabet-nt7or]

😂

[@mail2vw]

Lolololllllll

[@Summon256]

Oh Boy that guy! But don't you know - Nadal is winning Wimbledon 2023, i dare anyone to stop Nadal from winning! That's what he told me to tell everyone! Just so you don't forget! Here! The prophecy of the man himself delivered!

[@josep9599]

Also the “Rafa undisputed GOAT” spammer on tennis tv

[@ashoo1807]

😂😅

[@dadohollywood]

When it comes to physical effort, team sports cannot be compared to tennis. Longevity of Tom Brady, Ronaldo, Messi,... these guys never had to play 3,4,5, even six straight hours, never faced with ups and downs like tennis players do. They have teammates to replace them when they are not performing the best (even when they do, no single soccer player almost ever plays a full 90 minutes of match). None of them continuously travel around the globe, often without family, changing time zones. None of them play on different surfaces (how big impact that has on the body?). None of them were under pressure of making living of of their work- they sign contracts, and get paid weather they play or not. None of them would lose the ranking, drop out of top 100 if they didn't play in a while. I mean, what one tennis player has to go through during his career, no other athlete in team sports does. There is no comparison.

[@samsamtol]

best comment i have come across in a while

[@girica81]

I agree that there are some differences in Novak's style of playing but I think the difference is that he is wiser this time at his 30's. He saves his energy for the right battles instead of pushing to get points that will drain his physical energy. That's why he can still stay playing up to 5 sets even at his age because he chooses not to chase balls when he knows there's no chance in making it. Unlike his younger opponents who try everything they can to get to the ball but collapses during the 3rd or 4th set. He's a very intelligent athlete, indeed.

[@2soulss]

Nole started to finish matches earlier, no more gifted sets to the youngsters 😅

[@anthonygiles8941]

I don't think anyone has ever lost his first 3 GS finals without going on to win one eventually. Glimmer of hope for Casper!

[@milanpalinic6434]

Andy Murray lost his first 4 GS finals

[@utkarshdeshmukh6414]

But Murray had 3 greats in his path. Ruud has just 1. He can go that one step ahead!

[@janruner67]

​@@utkarshdeshmukh6414 Ruud has just 1??? are there fewer players now vs before?

[@vojtop]

Lendl - 3 or 4 first GS finals lost

[@naysayer1238]

@@milanpalinic6434 ? Can no one read?

[@notturno3448]

Great analysis Gill! You are really, I mean really good! You said that Ruud was winning the longer rallies. That is exactly what Amy Lundy (so analytical and studious) mentioned on one of the latest Three, that the player who usually wins longer rallies loses the match. Anyway, thank you and your buddies Joel & Amy for the great coverage of this GS :)

[@generalshockwavekingpin326]

The great ,Djokovic. One of the very greatest sportspersons, that ever lived.

[@biljanakocanovic6778]

🙂

[@TuningintotheOne4BLN]

IDEMOOOO! Novak showed grit, resilience, incredible mindset, unbelievable toughness & perserverence through pain-suffering. The last 12-15 years of Nole's ascendence to the peak! 3 career GS's. 23 GS's & #1 yet again @ 36 who could still get a calendar year slam. Up there with Brady, Jordan & Messi as a TOP Gun of GOATS. Big KUDOS & Thanx to you Gill for all you do & give us! Much respect & love Master Gill! 🙂 Be well. With much gratitude Milan

[@achaindia]

I think the next goals in priority are: 1. calendar year grand slam -- Rod Laver 2. Olympic gold medal - Nadal 3. over-all number of grand slams, man or woman. - Margaret Court 4. win big title past 40 - Tom Brady 5. number of titles - Jimmy Connors

[@TheMarcosGuima]

Yes. Maybe 3 of all of the big titles also. 1 monte carlo and 1 Cincy to go

[@poptart3598]

An obvious one is missing: Wimbledon titles - Federer

[@TheMarcosGuima]

@@poptart3598 true. That's probably next up for him

[@achaindia]

@@poptart3598 true. i think he will go for 10 for Wimby and 14 for AO.

[@Futhi.Johnson]

All that is unnecessary . He needs to retire ..I'm tired..supporting him is very emotionally taxing...

[@davidquant4804]

Rafa passes Novak in Australia. Novak passes Roger at his most successful major at Wimbledon and Novak passes Rafa at the French Open. Super interesting

[@naysayer1238]

@@timothylee2772 Use your brain, dingus. He got to 23 at the French, passing Nadal.

[@igorjajic2726]

Rafa pass3s nvak with help of mi6 therorist company and the Web of lays... So no.. Rafa didnt pass novak he got ao for free

[@christheprophet6583]

@@igorjajic2726 Nadal didn't play.

[@utkarshdeshmukh6414]

Records are always funny. Federer reached 17 in 2017, Rafa reached 20 in 2020, Novak reached 23 in 2023!

[@stefcon2000]

​@@christheprophet6583 If he had played, he would lose in the first round because of his injuries. If Novak had played AO, he would most probably win the whole thing. One was stopped by natural causes, the other one was stopped with politics.

[@DavidGao1988]

Ruud hit some great backhand down the line, but that was just not enough. Djokovic just dominated the big points during the match.

[@starscreamdias]

Ruud's problem is he gets passive to quickly. He rarely uses the slice offensively aka Federer or Barty. Plays too much defense, not just against Novak. He needs to take charge on neutral points too. This is clearly a lack of enough hunger to win. He is not ready to win big titles yet.

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

​​@@starscreamdias Yup, but playing a competitive final against Nole is a step in the right direction. I really would love for him to win a big one, in a way he reminds me of Ferrer (Ruud: great weapons, feeble mind; Ferrer: feeble weapons, great mindset) in that they both lacked an specific ingredient to reach the next level (aside from the obvious: clay grinders).

[@2soulss]

yeh n his forehand had been very powerful in this tournament that he outplayed Rune n Zvervrev! but facing the goat might cause him kinda nervousness 😝

[@rosaliewright4226]

I would say he dominated, period.

[@dachochiyo3992]

​@Sheldon Dias the defense in the 3rd set he did a great job. Djokovic attack and try to break all the time.

[@CringeBasedDuality]

okay credit to Gill, he predicted Novak in straight sets

[@starscreamdias]

Easy Prediction.

[@OkwyUgonweze]

He gave Carlos a victory and also predicted Nadal winning last Wimbledon. Does that tell you something?

[@brijmehta9421]

He would love to finish with Most Wimbledon titles

[@arcadianluna2605]

He loves Wimbledon so yeah I agree with u

[@shawnberry9335]

Yes, Novak wants 10 Wimbledons to pass Roger, 8, and Martina, 9.

[@drunkviggo7263]

Gill this has been The GOAT breakdown of this match.

[@fmneruda5129]

Great commentary as usual Gill. I genuinely believe there is a credible case to be made that Novak is the greatest sportsman/athlete of all time in being the greatest in his sport, as well as being a champion off it

[@WickedRichie]

THE Goat

[@OkieDoke-mo1co]

Comparing team sports to individual sports is not an apples-to-apples comparison. I'm 100% certain that no NBA player could defeat even a 40-year-old LeBron James in a one-on-one pick-up game (outside of centers who can just post up, and use their size). Just as no tennis player could rival Novak Djokovic's prowess in tennis. They are simply generational talents. I mean, we recently witnessed the remarkable sight of LeBron James, actively defending and straight-up grappling with Jokic, a towering figure standing at 7 feet and weighing 284 pounds, throughout a grueling 48-minute games, every two days. What's more, LeBron managed to contribute significantly on the offensive end, all while battling through a foot injury. Today's athletes are very distinct from their counterparts in the past - they know how to take care of their bodies.

[@BeepsAndBeats]

Are you kidding me? There is probably 15-20 people who could do this at his age right now. This is the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a while

[@morganwu767]

There’s no way lakers lbj a winning 1v1 player against the top guys

[@bomberoflamenco]

You were on fire Gill. These cross sport conparisons are very insightful. Thanks Gill. Keep it up❤

[@ivanpaez7790]

Fue un tremendo podcast mi amigo Gill. Esa comparación con otros deportistas de élite fue clínicamente expuesta. Muy bien 👌🏼

[@jonathanstirling7167]

Gil, normally your comments are very good. This time you are outstanding!

[@buzzfunk]

What cracks me up that, aside from a few exceptions, the big 3 have denied GS to most of the "new Gen" for years. So with Nadal out, You can bet that Novak will prob win another one this year. His form was/is just phenomenal.

[@shawnberry9335]

Novak is the New Gen.

[@ehrro]

With Nadal out? Nadal was only a treat to Novak on clay. Nowhere else since a long long time ago.

[@pashapasovski5860]

Like Federer won bunch of Atp 500,who cares, Nole is the only one who won all ATP 1000s and he did it 3 times, Consecutive 4 Slams and longest No1 streak!

[@naysayer1238]

He hasn't got 3 at Cincy and Monte Carlo. He does not have longest No 1 streak. Lay off the crack.

[@AlastairBarker]

@@naysayer1238 HA HA HA HJA HJA HA HA HA HA

[@pedrogb512]

loved your coverage during this year's RG, already looking forward to Wimbledon!

[@alpine3931]

Very niche accomplishment I want Novak to achieve is 100 match wins at every major as I feel like that record would stand the test of time

[@starscreamdias]

All these records will be broken. Only a matter of time.

[@naysayer1238]

@@starscreamdias No, not all records are broken.

[@alpine3931]

@@naysayer1238 exactly I’m trying to find an accomplishment in tennis like the ironman accomplishment for Cal Ripken in baseball that’ll never be broken. And I think 100 wins at all four majors would be that accomplishment

[@utkarshdeshmukh6414]

Many records are already impossible to break. Rafa 14 RGs, Federer 10 continuous GS finals from 2005-2007 and 18 out of 19 till 2009, Novak double golden masters.

[@TheSivarSrb]

Do you know from 2011 till today from 49 Grand slams Novak won 22 ? All other players together won 27 ... Novak disqualified from Us Open 2020 , and didn't played Australia Open and Us Open 2022 because of covid . That's unbelievable 🤯 , he almost compeat with all record all other players together.

[@shawnberry9335]

IF Novak wins the next 5 Majors (2023 Wimbledon, 2023 US, 2024 Aussie, 2024 French, and 2025 Wimbledon), then he will have won half of all 54 Majors played since 2011. Novak has won the last 4 Wimbledons and the last 4 Australian Opens he's played so I'd take him against the field at those Majors. Novak has almost a coin flip's chance at a French Open without Rafa and a US Open without Rafa. Overall Novak might be as likely to win the next 5 Majors as a coin is to land Head 5 times in a row, 1/32 = 3%.

[@TheSivarSrb]

@@shawnberry9335 but remember Novak was not able to play in 3 Grand Slams, if we remove that three title, then Novak need only 1 more title to destroy that record ( one man against all )

[@suyashtripathi7203]

Hey, Gill. Would love to hear your take on the weak era argument being raised by many folks signifying Novak's wins recently as he has bested the New Gen comfortably in his previous 7-8 finals. I personally don't agree since his level, and mental at 36 is just impeccable that he's able to beat them easily. Not a weak era imo

[@mambi74]

The weak era is something Federer fans would be all hurt by and now they're repackaging it to try and diminish Novak I guess. HIlarious. Check out Goatkovic - he breaks down the entire weak era myth among many other false claims.

[@rajeshsmusical]

Those fedtards will try to find reason .. if there was a weak era it was feds era

[@justusbeweel1109]

To be fair compared to the 2009-2014 period the competition since 2019 has been very weak.

[@GillGross]

I’m sure I’ll get this in a mailbag at some point

[@rajeshsmusical]

@@justusbeweel1109 not at all . tsitisipas in RG 2021 was more tough than rafa winning it against rudd. Novak always had tough opponents even in AO theim, med, rafa etc. only in wimbledon may be he had weaker opponents. Same with the case of rafa getting ferrer in finals and many like that.

[@piqueblinders7948]

Grats on another series of amazing slam coverage Gill. still remember watching I think it was your coverage of IW 2017. Tennis has been insane since then, one record after another

[@milankostic5401]

02:00 Connors who have a gross amount of titles record by number 109, actually had quite a lot of Small titles 78, but of which Big ones were only 31. That would be like Djokovic (who now have 67 Big titles) now going to focus and target to win an ATP250 tournaments only. That does not make much sense, Number 1 to go focusing on beating random Top300 players around OK, that is still a title, but do not count as Big title. Even today one already have 2 of these ATP250 tours on grass in Germany and Netherlands. Anyway Top players (like Top 30 or these known as seeds on a Big stages) eventually go to play more of these smaller events only IF they are out early at Big tournaments 😉

[@anthonygiles8941]

that's a good point. Frankly a lot of Jimmy's later titles were more like Challengers or Futures in terms of the field of competition

[@punns643]

There's more big titles now = more points

[@stefanvasilache5252]

Random top 300 players? There are top 100 players at atp 250.

[@zy9662]

So who is the one with most big titles? Federer?

[@toddubow2599]

Your recall of details is mind-boggling !!

[@1oscarbravo]

US surfer Kelly Slater should be in the mix for longevity. He was virtually unbeatable for decades. He's still active on the World Surf League aged 51, and won his 8th Pipeline Masters title aged 49, 30 years after he first won it. He is aiming to qualify for 2024 Olympics. To qualify in surfing for US is not easy.

[@glarris1]

Excellent point. Slater is the GOAT.

[@vedranuschuplichmd8734]

Just imagine if Corona bans and cancellations didn't take place, he might have counted 3 more slams easely. It is hard to see anybody biting him at WB '20, AO '22, and probably USO '22.

[@anthonygiles8941]

True - on the other hand he was a match point down to Federer in three of them, so you could say he was only three points away from 20 and Roger from 23!

[@Paperbagman555]

Also the year he was kicked out of the USO for the incident, the year Thiem won.

[@2soulss]

he had been treated so unfair that made me root for him more firmly. justice got to be prevailed!

[@AlastairBarker]

HE WENT AGAINST REGULATIONS WHICH IS ONE OF THE MANY REASONS HES NOT LIKED BY ALL!

[@vedranuschuplichmd8734]

Nobody is liked by all. This is not the point. Political decisions do not have anything with sport. He played USO '20 and AO '21 in the minds of pandemia accepting all the regulations, including non stop testing, caranteen and life in a bubble. If you are not his fan it is OK, but you do not need to express your frustration and capitalize your opinion here if it is not based on facts but pure bias.

[@sophia8482]

I love listening to your analysis of games - it's so detailed.

[@vm4473]

@Gill - great analysis as always! But I havent heard anyone mention the impact of the weather yet. First set was overcast, humid, and you could hear how heavy the balls were. As second set started, sun started to come out, courts and balls dried up and you could hear and see balls flying through air quicker.

[@arthurc3499]

Amazing analysis as always. Particularly interesting to compare the twnties and the thirties of all these great athletes ! Thanks Gill

[@eelesino]

This was incredible!

[@vegasdoug]

Great as always, thanks. Are you planning to talk to Steve Flink about #23?

[@mikefisher474]

Regarding longevity, you have to consider Gordie Howe. I know he's before your time (mostly before mine too), but he played into his 50s and was still top tier through his 30s and into his 40s.

[@barbaragillett9904]

Totally agree with you Gill your the best analysis very happy my man 🥇 win ❤️🇬🇧👍👏🙏

[@dav1dshu1]

Calendar slam in sight. Definitely in his mind.

[@renardfox328]

Great work as always. I really appreciate the video analysis!

[@MrSitemaster2]

At this point in his career, Novak should look after his body and just focus on the Slams, let others worry about everything else.

[@vesnalukic9898]

I don't think that any player in the new gen would last this long, just because most of them based their game on a brutal force. Novak is more like chess player.. others are like MMA fighters.

[@thomashodel9838]

It is easier in a team sport than in an individual sport.

[@iya3757]

That second tie break point put the nail in the coffin for Ruud. Had he just tapped it down the line it would of at least given him a bit more confidence. Novak also did this in previous matches in the tie break, read or guessed the play by his opponent whilst at the net.

[@lukacalov1988]

Djoker and Joker are running the sports rn

[@Bluz1]

Forgot the channels name but there's a Novak fan guy (so he's biased ofc) who makes some great content on debunking the myth that Federer declined massively in the 2010s and similar topics. The Federer one is the most interesting because statistically he is just as dominant against the rest of the tour as he was in the 00s more or less. The likes of Lendl, Agassi, Sampras, etc have an evident decline in their 30s because they often lost matches to lower ranked players. Federer doesn't have this problem. He smashes everyone...with the exception of Novak and Rafa. These two, especially Djokovic are the main reason he won "only" 4 slams in his 30s. 2019 Wimbledon, Roger was the better player the whole match. Won more points, winners, won two sets comfortably...but he lost the tiebreaks. Some of Roger's seasons in his mid 30s are higher or equal ELO to the ones in his mid 20s. Imo it wasn't age the stopped him from winning more, it was mostly psychological as he had the level to win. Nadal on the other hand has obviously declined although his sheer passion and will to win are unreal. His warrior mentality made him reach 22 slams because his body checked out years ago for his playstyle. Ok he couldn't attack on every slam or masters like before, but the ones that he planned to peak at went smoothly and won many titles. As for Messi and Ronaldo. Well, Messi hasn't really been a thing the last 3 years and just now he went to play in MLS which is a retirement league. He is the same age as Novak. Ronaldo played great until 37 but he still was half the player he used to be, same as Messi. So I wouldn't say that they maintened the same level of peakeness as Djokovic although their longevity is unbelievable. It's just that their level was so high for 15 years that when they declined in their mid 30s their statistics were only as good as the other best players in the world. So instead of 50 or 60+ goals, they scored 30 in a season which is still elite.

[@kingtrawal]

Amazing breakdowns as usual

[@jelenaprijovicbukvic7083]

Старац Гаврило рече:"Биће један млад Србин,све ће редом побеђивати"! И дочекаше Срби то време....❤

[@idc9053]

Great show as always :)

[@TimMurphy41]

Fantastic analysis. 👍👍 Subbed.

[@Grumpykit]

Gil would you consider doing a preview for smaller events, like 250s or 500s? I live for your previews, they are amazing. If there's no 1000 event, please consider 1 preview a week? I'm sure that I am not alone in this. Thank you, King.

[@kingnole4237]

How much we are fortunate to live in the era of Big 3 ,in future we have nostalgia of many things 😉

[@DandanGallagher]

Gill, you can add to your list Fernando Alonso (41) e especially Lewis Hamilton (38, tied with Michael Schumacher with 7 world championships) in F1. What Hamilton is doing is out of this world. His longevity and success are second to none and he is still on the top of his game.

[@Whatreally123]

Lewis will never be on the same level as Michael. Lewis has never had to drive a bad car and make his way to the top. And Michael went from winning 2 championships to resurrect the fortunes of Ferrari. If he had stayed, he couldve won more. But I will give his physical ability at 38 big props and it is amazing to see how fit he is. Again he is also on a plant based diet, same as Novak and Brady (for the most part).

[@Bluz1]

Hamilton did way too many mistakes in 2021 and lost to Russell last season. Alonso is a machine tho, always getting the maximum of the car.

[@SboNdwandwe]

​@@Bluz1 But Alonso also lost to Ocon last year. If it applies to Ham, it should also apply to Alonso.

[@Bluz1]

@@SboNdwandwe If you followed last season you'd know that Alonso destroyed Ocon on race pace practically every race weekend but had terrible reliability which cost him 50+ points and they still finished with only 9 points difference, it wasn't even close. 2021 was a different story, Ocon was a lot closer then in not only points but pace-wise as well. Russell didn't need luck to win, he was the better driver out of the two on most races.

[@judytherose9296]

…man…Gill you are good…awesome play by play…i did not even see the match or tiebreaker and i feel as if i did…great work…thank you for your knowledge and commentary…i love Novak and i have the utmost admiration and respect for Ruud…you broke Novak down like a 12-guage shotgun…loving you…got a subscriber here…🤗♥️🌹

[@tehatte]

Gill, I like that you really emphasized the importance of using open stance backhand to neutralize defense or turn defense to attack. That, to me, is where Djokovic is better than the rest. That is the trademark of his game.

[@ivanmilosevic9033]

23 Majors for Novak, better than Nadal (22) and Federer (20). Novak won at least 3 times each Majors tournament: record. He won at least 7 times two differents Majors: record. 388 weeks world number 1: record. He finished 7 times the year as world number 1: record. (Sampras 6, Fererer and Nadal 5). He won 6 times ATP finals like Federer. Nadal : 0. He arrived 34 times in the final of Majors: Record. He won 38 master 1000: record. Novak is also the only one in history to have won all 9 master 1000s: record. And in addition, he does it twice: record. He also has the record number of points obtained in the ATP: records. He has 67 big titles: record. He also has the record for the Australian Open: 10. Novak also leads in confrontation against Nadal and Federer. It is also the only one to have won the 4 majors in a row (Wimbeldon 2015, UO 2015, AO 2016, RG 2016). In short, being objective: GOAT or not GOAT seriously??😅

[@jacobschmidt2709]

Definitely the best in this era and best of the big 3. Novak ticks all the boxes: - Most weeks at number 1 - Most slams - Most year-end number 1's -Most YEC's(tied with Federer) - Most big titles I don't know how anybody could say otherwise.

[@jonathanstirling7167]

Anyone who refuses to accept the obvious fact that Novak Is the GOAT by a wide margin is a foolish Fedal fan controlled by their misguided emotions. Period. List of the 25 Major ATP Records Novak. Rafa. Roger 1 Total Titles 94 92. 103. Roger 2. Big Titles 1000-2000 67 58. 54. Novak 3 Grand Slam Titles 2000 23 22. 20. Novak 4 ATP Finals Titles1500. 6 0. 6. Novak-Roger 5 Masters Titles. 1000 38. 36. 28. Novak 6. Grand Slams 1. 0. 0. Novak 7 Golden Masters. 2. 0. 0. Novak 8 Supreme 14, Majors,YEC, Masters 14. 10. 12. Novak 9 ATP Years #1. 8. 5. 5. Novak 10 ATP Weeks #1. 388 209. 310 .Novak 11 ITF World Year End Champion. 7. 4. 5. Novak 12 Highest ATP Ranking 16,950. 15,390. 15,903. Novak 13 Highest ELO Ranking. 2629. 2552. 2550. Novak 14 Prime Peak Years. 11. 5. 5 Novak 15 Head to Head. 2-0. 1-1. 0-2. Novak 16 Wikipedia Head To Head Tallies. 30-6 13-33. 19-23. Novak 17 Longest Winning Streak 43. 32 41 Novak 18 Highest Winning % 83.434% 82.92 81.98. Novak 19 Highest Big Title Winning %. 31.52%. 28.85%. 22.97%. Novak 20 80%+ win rate on all surfaces. 1. 0. 0. Novak 21. Most Top 3 wins. 61 55. 51. Novak 21 Most Top 5 wins. 117 93. 104. Novak 22 Most Top 10 Wins. 245 224. 186 Novak 23 Top 15 ELO Rankings Records 5. “ 1; 2. Novak 24 Losses Holding Match Point. 3 8 24 Novak 25 Ultimate tennis stats GOAT Rating. 1044 892. 928. Novak Totals of Major Records Novak 24. 96% Roger. 2. 8% Rafa 0 0% Novak slammed the door on both Rogers and Rafas last chance to be considered the GOAT when he beat Roger at 2019 Wimbledon and Rafa at 2021 Rolland Garros. The media, commentators and the billion dollar sponsors have pushed the narrative for 15 years that when it came to the GOAT…. Roger was the chosen one j Rafa was the hopeful one. In spite of their false narrative, Novak is the only one.

[@scottysatpanalysis]

Dawg connors won like atp 250’s… same with Federer. Novak doesn’t care

[@shawnberry9335]

No 3,2,1 countdown? Bro, you need a spoiler alert for all the Fedal fans with their hands clamped to their ears today. They don’t wanna hear that Novak Djokovic is the GOAT.

[@stojanovicvlada2009]

Excellent analysis ..

[@marcopetrovski9762]

Bravo !

[@alexbowie6316]

Loved it mate! Rune may have given him more problems, but the same problem would have arisen for Rune as for Alcaraz.....nerve.

[@limfc6953]

Novak came for middle distance runnung whereas others came to grand slam competition thinking it is 100 or 200 meters short distance race. Thats why after 2 sets all players already out of gas.

[@SerbAtheist]

Yes, but it takes special talent to be competitive with a player who's firing on all cylinders while you patiently bide your time expending as little energy as possible.

[@SuperAlex2504]

There is no way winning 109 tournaments is a top five priority for Novak. maybe if 109 was held by Rafa or Federer. I think Novak wants to win as many Grand Slams as possible and a few more Master 1000's. I think he is also thinking about winning 100 matches in each Slam, which would have been almost a guarantee if he was able to play at the US open and Australian open last year. But if Novak wins or even goes deep twice more in each Slam he will win 100 in each Slam. I also think he wants to finish number 1 this year to make up for last year not being able to end the year at number 1 because of Wimbledon (No points), and missing on thousands of potential points at the US open and 4 Master 1000's. If Novak plays on a high level for another 2-3 years he should pass Federer though with 103 tournaments, which might actually be one of his goals.

[@ValentinG23]

i find it funny how when Federer had the most slams nobody hesitated to call him the GOAT now that Nole has the most slams , they don’t dare say it or say that you can’t compare eras or that it’s not only about slams , all a bunch of hypocrites!!!!

[@fabianocaruana8622]

Have to disagree, about the number of titles being the biggest goal. For Novak its CYGS and the Olympics, next year. Potentially, a 3rd golden masters ( needs another MC and Cinci). Its also important to preserve the h2h lead vs Nadal. CYGS quest is on. I think he does it this year.

[@GillGross]

Maybe not biggest goal, but only significant counting record he has yet to top. I agree that he wants that Olympic gold badly, probably more than anything else now.

[@moooozart]

I often wonder: as Djokovic already held all 4 GS trophies at same time in 2016, is CYGS that *much* of a greater distinction than that?

[@fabianocaruana8622]

@@moooozart Of course not, its a formality, but his 4 in a row, ( and ATP finals) at the same time, is completely and deliberately ignored.

[@miroslavtomic7343]

Preserve the record against Nadal? Surely if they meet on any surface other than clay Djokovic is a heavy heavy favourite. Even on clay i feel its 50 50 nowdays with Nadals shape.

[@fabianocaruana8622]

@@miroslavtomic7343 At RG, where they are the most likely to meet, Nadal is always a favourite. A lot depends on his form ofc.

[@MaxDangVu]

Re: Messi and Ronaldo, I’d say Ronaldo is very similar to Lebron although with much less injuries. He was initially a dribbling winger who became the ultimate penalty box operator: scoring from all sorts of angles, getting a tonne of shots away and his physicality was most prominent in the air (scored some absurd headers). Messi is a mix of Federer and Brady. His game was never built around physicality. In fact, he walked about most games and then went on a burst with the ball. He was impossible to man mark in his 20s and then has progressively became like a quarter back whilst maintaining the productivity. Interestingly, I think the best football comparisons to Djokovic are Karim Benzema who is turning 36 in December, or Zlatan Ibrahimovic who has just retired at the age of 41. I wanna focus on Benzema who arguably became a better player in his 30s, after spending most of his 20s as a facilitator to Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Goal numbers boosted right up whilst maintaining a similar style of and never really declined.

[@Psyaii]

I think Novak is above them in this category because tennis is a one on one sport with no where to hide physically. Footballers with amazing ability can actually walk most of the match, they just need to be rapid and skillful in that 10% of the time when they're in action (especially forwards). With age, endurance is also the hardest to maintain (strength and power stay or is maintained with training), so Djokovic definitely has the edge. I agree with your comparisons, as you pointed out the others changed their games to adapt, where Djokovic has maintained his physicality the most of all of them.

[@MaxDangVu]

Yeah I always refrain from comparing individual sport athletes to team sport athletes because the physicality demands are so different. Interesting exercise for sure.

[@recrevs963]

awesome analysis. can you also try to get steve flink back for one of these post slam analysis?second part of the analysis with later age winnings is excellent

[@itacatv2146]

The number of titles is not a record of any significance, because if it was, Novak would drop the Slams and just play 250s.

[@wraithsblade9897]

Federer and Nadal were at their peaks in jokers 20s that's a lot to do with it as well

[@xhioni]

Why are people (mostly Fed and Nad lovers) still debating who is the goat ? The most weeks no 1. The most Slams. The most Majors. = Goat. Period.

[@jonathanstirling7167]

Anyone who refuses to accept the obvious fact that Novak Is the GOAT by a wide margin is a foolish Fedal fan controlled by their misguided emotions. Period. List of the 25 Major ATP Records Novak. Rafa. Roger 1 Total Titles 94 92. 103. Roger 2. Big Titles 1000-2000 67 58. 54. Novak 3 Grand Slam Titles 2000 23 22. 20. Novak 4 ATP Finals Titles1500. 6 0. 6. Novak-Roger 5 Masters Titles. 1000 38. 36. 28. Novak 6. Grand Slams 1. 0. 0. Novak 7 Golden Masters. 2. 0. 0. Novak 8 Supreme 14, Majors,YEC, Masters 14. 10. 12. Novak 9 ATP Years #1. 8. 5. 5. Novak 10 ATP Weeks #1. 388 209. 310 .Novak 11 ITF World Year End Champion. 7. 4. 5. Novak 12 Highest ATP Ranking 16,950. 15,390. 15,903. Novak 13 Highest ELO Ranking. 2629. 2552. 2550. Novak 14 Prime Peak Years. 11. 5. 5 Novak 15 Head to Head. 2-0. 1-1. 0-2. Novak 16 Wikipedia Head To Head Tallies. 30-6 13-33. 19-23. Novak 17 Longest Winning Streak 43. 32 41 Novak 18 Highest Winning % 83.434% 82.92 81.98. Novak 19 Highest Big Title Winning %. 31.52%. 28.85%. 22.97%. Novak 20 80%+ win rate on all surfaces. 1. 0. 0. Novak 21. Most Top 3 wins. 61 55. 51. Novak 21 Most Top 5 wins. 117 93. 104. Novak 22 Most Top 10 Wins. 245 224. 186 Novak 23 Top 15 ELO Rankings Records 5. “ 1; 2. Novak 24 Losses Holding Match Point. 3 8 24 Novak 25 Ultimate tennis stats GOAT Rating. 1044 892. 928. Novak Totals of Major Records Novak 24. 96% Roger. 2. 8% Rafa 0 0% Novak slammed the door on both Rogers and Rafas last chance to be considered the GOAT when he beat Roger at 2019 Wimbledon and Rafa at 2021 Rolland Garros. The media, commentators and the billion dollar sponsors have pushed the narrative for 15 years that when it came to the GOAT…. Roger was the chosen one j Rafa was the hopeful one. In spite of their false narrative, Novak is the only one.

[@Leejungwoo48]

2:00 what other records other than Jimmy connors’s 109 titles? I’d say if he wins a couple of Olympic golds that’s also something he can still accomplish :)

[@sicrwic2264]

I think the one thing Novak really wants to win is the Olympics

[@itamarLerner1]

Final word about other athletes you didn't cover: Messi and Ronaldo should not be in that conversation. As good as they are (especially Messi), they are far off from their amazing peak in their 20s. If anything, and you are willing to call Snooker a sports, Ronnie O'Sullivan's 30s and 40s were no doubt better than his 20s. That's obviously a different ball game since physicality is not used in the same way in snooker like it is in tennis, but still - it is rare even for snooker players to be better in the latter part of their career.

[@JonathanCourtauld]

Djokovic as this tournament progressed is almost the perfect player. Sometimes I feel his backhand cross court can lack width and penetration but here in the French open it looked superb. Then we have Djokovic's forehand cross court which is the shot I'm always amazed by. He can hit it flat and hard to the corner location but he can also introduce this simply unbelievable angle that just gets the opponent way off the court. For a player like Ruud he has to respect that angle that Djokovic generates and therefore cannot slightly hang out in his backhand corner hitting forehands as he would ideally like to do. But if Ruud is covering his forehand side he is open to attacks to his backhand and as you say when stretched he's just not great out of that corner. Ruud's backhand is good (and improved) if he's in position and hitting a standard cross court backhand. He's getting good power and depth but he's not good stretched out to his backhand side and he does'nt really have a backhand down the line unless the ball coming at him is relatively easy. Put it all together and Ruud just has gaps in his game and is just not as good as Djokovic who when he plays like yesterday can just do everything on the court.

[@Woody13woodpecker]

Djokovic has been living, partly deservedly, mostly not, in the shades of RF and Nadal fame, all of his glorious career! Now, for the rest of days, they WILL BE CALLED SECOND AND THIRD in the GOAT convos.

[@flok8330]

Great analysis. I really enjoyed this one. I am curious what is your opinion on this one, Lebron or MJ?

[@brianshin3209]

I love how Novak haters like to say he’s playing in a weak era when he played most of his career in the Nadal/Federer era. Now that he’s outlasted them, people like to cherry pick the slams he’s won against the next gen. What about Federer when he was racking up slams against guys like Roddick, Hewitt and even Marcos Baghdatis.

[@benjamintreves7544]

Very nice analysis as always! Thanks Gill On the comparison with other players, can we really make the analysis on a standalone basis or isn't it dependent on the field at the time? Roger and Rafa were halted mainly by Novak. And it seems that the next Gen is not yet able to stop Novak. This is mainly due to Novak's super abilities for sure, but also to the rest of the field no?

[@johndaniel21343]

For the records, would definitely give a shot on having a gold medal

[@bomberoflamenco]

As a European following football for decades, I am very confident in claiming that Messi and Ronaldo are similar to your analysis of Lebron: their statistics have remained spectacularly close to their 20s but they have adapted to a less physical style.

[@Muhammadali-sj9pi]

Novak Djokovic an incomparable champion, athlete, tactician and mental giant who simply refuses to age. Without a shadow of a doubt Novak is a colossus of modern sporting world. On a related note, when you talk about modern sporting titans and their longevity, I just fail to understand why do you limit your choice only to NBA and NFL players? You can never leave out the Magician Leo Messi an absolute godsend. I will however give you the benefit of the doubt here as you have wholeheartedly accepted that it's a blind spot for you. I believe Djokovic is part of this elite group alongside Messi. I don't know enough about LeBron and Brady but based on the stats you have provided they also merit a place in this elite group. I am not trying to belittle anybody but in my opinion one athlete per sport seems fine, and dare I say let's exclude female athletes. Serena deserves to be on a separate list in the company of other top female athletes.

[@geksii]

Old man power is real yo! :D

[@smp19647]

The next chase for Novak is the Grand Slam!!!

[@stefanvasilache5252]

He won t make it

[@Rocky-sn6fl]

The most important day in tennis history...so far.

[@2soulss]

reading some comments, people are so demanding 😂 i just wish No1e enjoy each of his match from now on...very relaxingly😊

[@80sruler]

For records - tying and passing Roger at Wimbledon will be a big one. He’ll hopefully be vying for a grand slam at 36 when the Champions Tour starting age is 35

[@OkwyUgonweze]

Messi was only able to win World Cup and the only big trophy in about 5 years. Cristiano has since left top tier football for Saudi Arabia . Djokovic heroics completely eclipsed what both guys have done in football .

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

2:00 Maybe tie 14 Slam count with Nadal by winning 4 AOs more?

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

@@makingmoneywithmj7752 It might be, but if he can do it, he sure as hell will try it. Dude is a competitive freak.

[@Jalleur14325]

Loved that play by play of the tie break. Yes I noticed the grunting from Novak was really loud - unusual for him to be so loud (although there were points against Carlitos where he was too). It is demoralising for other mortals playing Novak! Of course Roger and Rafa didn't feel intimidated in the same way that the next gen/new gen do. Medvedev though isn't afraid of Novak, if anything he is scared of Carlos. Re. The other GOATs - Serena's achievements are also super impressive especially being that she was pregnant in one of her titles. I was noticing that post the birth of her daughter she also managed ro compete at a v high level and was runner up in a lot of major finals.

[@gretchenlittle6817]

Love the analysis and discussion! My lesser-educated impression? Ruud couldn't buy a first serve when he needed one in the opening set -- that allowed Djokovic back into the set and killed Ruud's momentum. After that, it was over.

[@paulacostescu1041]

Thank you. In the athleticism discusion... i can say only that it is kind of unfair to compare individual sports with team sports. As you conclude... in a team sport they can play 10-15 minutes... while in individual sport you gave to be 100% there at high level all the time. This makes Nole achievements so great and unique. I'm really tired on GOAT debate... i do not what to open another one that is even harder to be concluded. Let"s enjoy the show!

[@drazantodoric6040]

Hello Gill Gross ! Another perfect analysis as always before. I have one big request. PLEASE WRITE ME THE LINK OF THE MATCH that you showed in the 16th minute of your analysis. I haven't watched directly any of them for 10 years. I really like watching the finals that Đoković plays, but I get so annoyed that I haven't watched directly any of his matches for the last 10 years, instead I watch what the television offers me afterwards. THANKS IN ADVANCE !!!

[@GillGross]

Sorry! I would, but it’s on TC Plus. The link wouldn’t work unless you’re in the US and you subscribe

[@drazantodoric6040]

@@GillGross Thanks anyway.

[@BodieB]

Brady at 44 years old had the most td's and passing yards in the league...2nd in mvp(should have won) and he is SO far ahead of anybody in his sport in longevity it's insane...look at every other player(outside kicker) he played at an elite level 6 years longer than anyone else (at minimum)

[@danicadabic9789]

I see it often, but I don't know how a team sport can be compared to singles in tennis. It is apples and oranges. None of the basketball or soccer players have to stay in action during the whole duration of the game. The time spent on the field/court is limited and way shorter than the average tennis match, not to mention the best of five ones . They don't have to be mentally 100% at all times. On a tennis court, it is you and your opponent. Coaching is now allowed but still, it is you and you only who has to troubleshoot and figure out the opponent, and be ready to play for hours in front of the rowdy crowd. A whole different ball game :)))