Ivan Ljubicic has been in the news in recent days due to statements that, of course, revolved around the debate on the GOAT. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal y Novak Djokovic they have been immersed in a race towards the highest echelon of tennis glory, a detail that is not overlooked by anyone and that is followed (and will continue to be talked about) until new players appear capable of disturbing their legacy in the least. The Croatian has been involved in the eye of the hurricane for a simple phrase, a sentence in which he made it clear that, for him, according to the impact generated in our sport, Roger occupies the highest step.
However, there was much more substance in his words, reflections that are worth listening to and in which names like that of Michael Jordan. The truth is that the Croatian reflected long and hard on a debate that generates rivers of ink every time he comes to the fore, and he did so calmly and eloquently in an interview with Nova. It was he who wanted to broadcast the clip in its entirety, where greater nuances can be seen in his statements and in which the Balkan distinguishes between “greatness” y “the success”two very different concepts for him that set the guidelines on which this conversation turns.
But let’s start with the most basic concepts. Let’s go to the numbers. It is clear that the fight to finish at the top of the winners of Grand Slams It has been reserved, at the moment, for two names: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Who will end up with more Majors to your name? Ivan doesn’t hesitate for a second. “I think that right now, Novak is the absolute favorite. Especially since he is physically much healthier, he has more durability. When you look at the current Novak and the one from 10 years ago, you hardly notice a difference on a physical level. With Rafa, yes you can see the differences. If you watch old matches from 2005 or 2006, after 2010… you can see that there is a different Nadal, who plays in a different way, you can physically tell the difference. You don’t see that with Novak.
I think that Novak will win more Grand Slams. I’m not sure about Rafa, but we can find out and talk about it all you want, nobody knows. We will see at the end who is the one who will finish with more titles”, sentence Ljubicic clearly. This is when the debate gets a little more convoluted and other factors that go beyond numbers come into play. Asked if we should have these ‘intangibles’ into account when addressing the debate, the Croatian is sincere. “I have my opinion about it, but anything I say will be seen as something I say roger’s coach. Objectively, I don’t know if I’m objective. I don’t think this should be measured exclusively around Grand Slams, and I don’t think Roger will end up being the most successful tennis player in history. In fact, he has already ceased to be. Will he be the greatest? We should examine what exactly that means.
Greatness and success are not and do not have to be the same thing. If they were, then clearly Roger won’t be. And if we talk about other issues, about what influence each one has had in this sport, I don’t think either Nadal or Djokovic can reach Roger’s influence in tennisbut in the end the numbers will show that both were more successful than Federer“. What is clear is that Ljubicic does not save anything, opening a really interesting melon. What is the GOAT? Is tennis a much easier sport to measure due to its individual character compared to other disciplines? When asked about ‘the Jordan of tennis’, Ivan brings up a new aspect: Michael’s longevity and competition compared to Roger himself.
“I think the reason Jordan is considered the GOAT is because he was so dominant at the time he played. He finished his career before those he could be compared to came along. There’s a difference from Roger, who he played most of his career against his biggest rivals. In fact, they beat him more times than he beat them, although it is true that Federer is five or six years older. And when he got older, the youngsters who challenged him it was Djokovic and Nadal, while the youngsters who should “nibble” on the legacy of Djokovic and Nadal… are not there Now, we can always compare, but there is a reality: the three are the greatest in history. There’s no need to debate.”
AN UNDENIABLE POPULARITY
It is here when Ljubicic’s argument changes and his face fills with joy: what the Big Three has brought to the world of tennis is, to this day, incomparable. “What all of them have brought to tennis is phenomenal. The popularity of tennis right now is so great because we have, not just three great players, but three very different personalities, three different ways of playing tennis, three very different people and three totally different worlds. One is from Eastern Europe, the other is Swiss, the other is Latino Spanish, so we have everything in these three. They have given us everything we can look for in life, in sports and in the love of a sport.”
And not only that: the Croatian dared to answer, openly, the question of Which player of the three did you find most difficult to beat?. “Nadal no. I never had big problems with him. Ok, Nadal on clay is a new level by itself. I played him three or four times and he definitely dominated me a couple of times, but with him I never had the feeling that I didn’t have a chance. I felt that if I played well, I had a chance to win the game. That didn’t happen to me with Novak in some situations, nor did it happen with Roger in most situations. I think I can put Novak and Roger on one side and Nadal on the other. Novak returned terrific, and he still does excellently, and that was a huge problem for my tennis, because he needed a lot of serve points. However, he didn’t apply Federer’s pressure on every move. simply you couldn’t prepare a game on a tactical level against Roger, because he always came up with new ideas, new tactics, new problems that you were facing. I don’t know if I have answered your question, but I would put Djokovic and Federer on one side and Nadal on the other.”
