The second Grand Slam of the calendar year, the French Open, is approaching its climax! Much to the delight of tennis fans, the top players, including Novak Djokovic, in men’s tennis are still in the race to be crowned as the new clay champion. However, the tournament has recently drawn the ire of fans, players, and coaches alike for the persistent scheduling issue. Amid all this, Serena Williams’ childhood coach Rick Macci has taken a unique yet funny stance while celebrating Djokovic’s late-night feat.

There have been a few instances that Grand Slam matches have extended from night into dawn. Be it Andy Murray last year at the Australian Open, who played till the break of the dawn. Or the most recent one, the World No.1 Serbian Ace, at the Roland Garros two days back. The reaction of all has been shock, which can be summed up with Andy Murray’s question, “I don’t know who it’s [the late finish] beneficial for?” Certainly, the ambiguity surrounding the benefits is yet to be cleared. But in the meantime, Macci has announced Djokovic as a GOAT!

In the last two days, most of the talks have been around Djokovic’s 3:30 AM comeback win. Macci is not behind in the discussion. As he took to Twitter and shared a light-hearted moment, amongst all the serious discourse. He tweeted, “Animal Rescue was on site 3.30 am in Paris as there was a GOAT sighting enjoying a bagel. @DjokerNole” 

Undoubtedly, the Serbian Ace is a strong candidates for the GOAT status in tennis with the most number of Grand Slams (24) in the ATP. But fans have their parameters. However, the GOAT discussion always starts with the Big 3 and ends with them. Moreover, after a tiring third round, Djoker does deserve a bagel!

One of the most talked about moments of the clay slam was the late-night match of Djokovic. In which the Serbian tennis star was on the verge of losing to  Lorenzo Musetti. Before he was able to muster all his energy and make a comeback to stay in the race for his 25th grand Slam, the World No.1 had a few things to convey the win. 

Novak Djokovic questions about the tournament about scheduling 

The three-time French Open champion, during the third-round match at the Roland Garros, suffered a setback. He was 1-2 down, by the third set, though he later pulled through and kept his campaign alive for the 4th French Open title. But the World No.1 could not hide the underlying frustration, as he detailed his struggle during the late-night match.

“When you’re playing a 20+ rally at 2 am… Who plays at 2 am? You play a few matches in your life at this time. It was so muggy and so heavy conditions, very cold, the balls were not going anywhere…And that’s why I really physically pushed myself to the limit tonight,” said Novak.

And after pushing himself to the hilt, the Serbian tennis star would continue his journey into the slam today with his upcoming fourth-round match. However, the shadow of concern would certainly follow him throughout after the third-round nightmare! What can you say about Novak Djokovic’s fitness after a very long third-round match? Do you think he would claim his 25th in Paris? Do let us know in the comments!