‘Like To Be There up Alone’: Novak Djokovic’s Former Coach Issues Warning to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

Over the last couple of years, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has firmly cemented his dominance on the men’s Tour. He has won 19 out of his 20 Grand Slam titles over the past decade, making him the most prominent player in the game. 

His performances, especially over the 2021 season, have solidified the talk about him being a cut above rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. As of today, Djokovic is tied on 20 Grand Slam titles along with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. During this season, he also surpassed the Swiss ace for holding the top position for the longest duration of time.  

He has a better head-to-head record against his two arch-rivals. Djokovic leads Federer by 27 wins as compared to the Swiss maestro’s 23 wins. He also leads Rafa by 30 wins as compared to the Spaniard’s 28 wins. The Belgrade-born player also holds the record for winning the most ATP Masters 1000 titles. 

Novak Djokovic is a man on a mission 

Recently, Djokovic’s former coach, Radek Stepanek, spoke on the debate of the big three.

Stepanek stated, “He’s changing the history books in basically every slam so I think the Grand Slam stat he would like to be up there alone.”

In recent years, Djokovic has beaten Federer at the Wimbledon Championships and Nadal at the French Open, their preferred turfs. Given the manner in which he is continuing, it seems only a matter of time before he surges past Roger and Rafa in the Grand Slam tally.

Reflecting on this season, Novak won the first three Grand Slam events of the season. Sadly, he lost in the final of the US Open to Daniil Medvedev. On the other hand, Federer and Nadal have not played much tennis this season as they were dealing with their injuries. 

Things are certain to get interesting in the upcoming 2022 season. Federer confirmed that he would be missing the Australian Open beginning next month. On the other hand, Nadal is scheduled to make an appearance but is currently struggling with Covid-19. We wish all these three superstars the best of luck for the upcoming season.

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