‘I’ve been world No 1 and won slams – Novak Djokovic isn’t better than these six players’
Novak Djokovic is considered by many as the greatest player of all time but former star Gustavo Kuerten has not included the Serbian in his personal list of the greatest players in history
Former World No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten has snubbed Novak Djokovic in his list of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Djokovic has a mightily impressive record of 24 Grand Slam wins, including ten Australian Open titles and seven Wimbledon championships. However three-time French Open champion Kuerten did not include the 37-year-old in his personal rankings.
Kuerten, fondly known as ‘Guga’, led the ATP Rankings between 2000 and 2001 after securing the title at Roland Garros in 1997, 2000, and 2001. The 48-year-old retired in May 2008 and has now revealed his favoured list of tennis legends.
The lucky few to make Kuerten’s list include Swedish icon Bjorn Borg, American heroes John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, and Swiss icon Roger Federer. Spanish star Rafael Nadal also made the cut, turning Kuerten’s list into a top six, but there was still no room for current Olympic champion Djokovic.
The Serbian tennis maestro is often hailed as the greatest of all time, eclipsing legends like Federer and Nadal in the eyes of many fans. Yet, the Brazilian tennis idol didn’t hesitate to leave him out of his top picks, explaining his choices were influenced by the heroes of his youth, reports the Express.
“Why? Because of my origins,” he said. “My brother with a poster of Borg and me with a poster of McEnroe. I can speak today and people will listen to me thanks to these two players.”
Beyond mere technical prowess, Kuerten recognised some of the titans for their larger-than-life personas, stating: “Sampras was from another galaxy. Agassi was a more provocative type who went beyond tennis and reached people.”
Sampras won seven Wimbledon titles and 14 majors in his illustrious career. Agassi has four Australian Open victories under his belt, along with major wins at Wimbledon, the US and French Open.
McEnroe, also selected by Kuerten, bagged nine Grand Slam titles in his career, won 77 career titles overall and was World No. 1 in 1980. Bjorg, now 68, clinched eleven Grand Slams including six French Open titles and an impressive five consecutive titles at Wimbledon.
Federer, who was named possibly due to his 20 Grand Slam achievements which included a record eight wins at Wimbledon, was another pick. Nadal, Federer’s great rival and friend, who managed to secure sixth place, has 22 Grand Slams to his name and claimed the French Open title an astounding 14 times.
However, many fans will be left scratching their heads with Djokovic not featuring at all on Kuerten’s esteemed list.
