'He doesn't have as much popularity as Roger Federer and Nadal', says ATP legend

The debate over whether to review the scoring system of grand slam tournaments and align all circuit competitions to the best of three sets is bound to divide the world of tennis. One day perhaps we will choose to go in that direction, however the road that could lead to taking this revolutionary path appears tortuous and above all not very justifiable at the moment. Speaking of best-of-five-set matches, it's interesting to browse through the statistics and analyze the performance of the great protagonists of contemporary tennis when they were forced to face the dreaded fifth set. Obviously the calculation between the won and lost matches of the big three is positive for each of them, however some ideas are very interesting and help us to retrace some of the most beautiful and at the same time dramatic moments in the recent history of this sport. Novak Djokovic proved to be the most efficient tennis player among the three phenomena in the final yield in this special and exclusive ranking. His balance sheet is indeed extraordinary: 32 victories against only 10 defeats in the fifth set for the current world number one. An authentic long-distance specialist, capable of exalting himself like few others in moments of maximum effort. As the statistics remind us, the first game played in five sets by the Serbian ended with a defeat, remedied against the Belgian Olivier Rochus in 2005 in a Davis Cup match (when the team tournament was still played with this formula), while the last match that the Serbian played in five sets is very recent and it is the semifinal of Roland Garros this year, where the Belgrade champion defeated the Greek Tsitsipas in a very expensive match from a mental point of view. Former French player Henri Leconte believes Novak Djokovic is looking for something extra over rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who are more popular. The Frenchman went on to claim that while Djokovic can come off as awkward at times, he is also incredibly generous.

Leconte on the Big 3

In a recent interview, Henri Leconte pointed out how Novak Djokovic is a unique person who is always trying to do something 'different' from his peers. "Novak Djokovic is a person who needs to be loved. He does not have as much popularity as a Rafael Nadal or a Roger Federer. Novak is always looking for that little extra over his two rivals. He wants to be different and he is different, he does not have the same thinking and the same vision," Leconte said. According to Henri Leconte, Novak Djokovic's comments can come off as awkward at times because he tends to speak his mind. Leconte himself has earned plenty of flak for his blunt comments over the years, but the Frenchman doesn't see any problem with that. "Yes, sometimes he's awkward," Leconte said. "But we all have the right to be clumsy. He is someone who has the audacity to say certain things. He made mistakes that cost him dearly. Afterwards, the way of saying it can be improved and I'm the one who says that. But he is also someone of incredible generosity when you see what he does for children in Serbia or for his foundation. This is what makes him charming too," Leconte said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3mrbxaM