'Roger Federer is the most aesthetically pleasing ever, but...', says top analyst

Many believe that Novak Djokovic is still behind his eternal rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the race for the title of greatest ever. The Swiss and the Spanish are currently paired at 20 Grand Slams, while the Serbian is still at 17 (however, being the youngest of the Big 3). The number 1 in the world could have further enriched his showcase by winning the US Open 2020, but a sensational and bad luck shot to a line judge cost him the disqualification. Nole tried to redeem himself at Roland Garros, where an unleashed Rafael Nadal beat him by giving him one of the sharpest blows in a Grand Slam tournament. Thanks to the new pandemic-induced ranking system, the Belgrade veteran still has an excellent chance of breaking the all-time record of weeks at the top of the rankings. Additionally, Djokovic will show up at the 2021 Australian Open as the number 1 favorite for success. In a lengthy interview with Kevin Palmer, two-time Slam finalist Todd Martin explained how Novak has all it takes to be recognized as the GOAT.

Todd Martin on the GOAT debate

“Roger Federer is the most aesthetically pleasing I have ever seen. For me though, if Novak Djokovic is right, if Novak is confident and comfortable with his physical status and is really focused, I’ve never seen anybody more unbeatable. This guy has played the game better than anyone else ever has, in my opinion" - Todd Martin said. "One of the beauties of life is that life is not fair," Martin said. "Novak is the third wheel from a public adoration standpoint. But his achievements have proved that he is no third wheel from a capability standpoint.” The 2021 ATP Cup will officially mark the starting of the Australian tennis season. Most of the top-ranked players in the world will compete at the ATP Cup, which begins a week prior to the Australian Open. The tournament will be played entirely at Melbourne Park from February 1 to 5. The five-day tournament (Monday to Friday) will be held alongside two other ATP 250 events, which will occupy Week 5 of the ATP Calendar. The tournament comprises 12 teams, which are divided into four groups of three for the group stage, round-robin play. The winners of each team qualify for the knock-out stages, with the four remaining teams contesting the semifinals. The format of the event will be like the inaugural edition. Each tie will comprise two single matches and one doubles match. The country that wins two matches will win the tie. Each country will get to play two ties in the group stages. The singles match will be the best of three tie-break sets, while the doubles will feature No-Ad scoring and a match tie-break in lieu of the third set.

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