Isn’t tennis a game of perseverance? From Roger Federer to Rafael Nadal, legends rose, records were made and loyalties shifted. However, when a former pro changed his stance, it sparked intrigue. And he has his reasons. Stressing his point, this former player highlighted why Novak Djokovic deserves some more applause than the two remaining legends in his league.

Tsonga, a former French ATP star picked his favorite from tennis’ legendary Big Three. In May 2021, at a press conference, the Frenchmman named the Spaniard Rafael Nadal his clear favorite for the GOAT title. Reflecting on the reason, this former ATP star said since the Spaniard was five years younger than Federer but had a similar number of major titles, he was closer to winning the throne among the remaining two. Over time, Tsonga’s preference changed when Novak Djokovic surpassed Federer and Nadal’s Grand Slam record with his 23rd major trophy at the 2023 Australian Open. He started to rely more on Djokovic’s potential.

In a recent interview, the Frenchman said, “The best of all time is Novak Djokovic. And I think he can win 25, 26, 27 and maybe 28 Grand Slam tournaments. You never know.” Tsonga, a former player with 18 ATP singles titles, also hailed himself as a “Djokovic fan.” His reason? “I’ve been with him for many years,” he said. “I think Djokovic is the most complete player on the circuit. He has the most weapons and has shown once again that the level he has reached has not yet been reached,” Tsonga concluded.

Tsonga was the first player to defeat all three in a Grand Slam tournament after overpowering Roger Federer at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga dominated the Swiss legend on six occasions in 18 matches. He first defeated Federer in the quarterfinals of the 2009 ATP Masters 1000 Canada and shared a head-to-head of 4-10 with Rafael Nadal. The Frenchman’s debut victory against the King of Clay happened in a Grand Slam event: the 2008 Australian Open semifinals.

Tsonga shared an impressive rivalry with Novak Djokovic, featuring a head-to-head record of 6-17. He first dominated the Serb in the 2008 Bangkok Open finals and bagged his first Grand Slam victory against the latter in the 2010 Australian Open. He expressed his deepest admiration by hailing the Serbinator as a “warrior” – once leaving an exclusive opinion regarding the Serb’s reputation, showing how minutely he noticed the 24-time Grand Slam winner.

When Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said Novak Djokovic “wanted to be Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal“

After retiring from the sport at Roland Garros 2022, Tsonga was invited to an episode of the Generation Do It Yourself podcast in December 2023. While bursting the bubble with the truth of Djokovic and Nadal partying after their wins, he also weighed in on the former’s unprecedented unpopularity.

“He wanted to be Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, when maybe he should have been himself all along. I think today he’s himself. And even though it’s divisive, I think that’s why it’s appreciated by a lot of people. Because now he’s completely honest […] He wanted to get out of this image of a warrior that he has, because he is a Serb, who went through difficult things in his childhood. So he’s a warrior, he should have assumed it from the beginning. I think he would have been liked for that,’ Tsonga said.

This Frenchman’s statement on Djokovic shows his extreme admiration for the Serb – who makes for a fierce competitor even at 37. Given that Djokovic won his career’s first Olympic gold at this age, one can’t dismiss Tsonga’s claim. And though Djokovic’s Melbourne run ended abruptly, the Serb may very well compensate for that loss in his next Grand Slam he plays. Do you think he will be able to take home one more major trophy?