Novak Djokovic’s former coach Nikola Pilic has slammed the press in the Western world for “belittling” the Serb’s success and refusing to accept him as the tennis GOAT.
The 1973 French Open runner-up also identified Djokovic’s weeks at No 1 total and Rafael Nadal’s 14 French Open titles as the two tennis records that are “unattainable.”
Djokovic is currently in action for Serbia at the Final 8 stage of the 2023 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, where he is looking to conclude his amazing season on a high.
The world No 1 defeated Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 to seal Serbia’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Great Britain on Thursday and set up a semi-final showdown with Jannik Sinner’s Italy.
The 36-year-old is aiming to help Serbia win the Davis Cup for the second time, having led his nation to their only title in the team competition in 2010.
The 24-time Major champion claimed his seventh title of the year with a straight-set final triumph over Sinner at the ATP Finals in Turin last week for a record seventh year-end championships crown.
In an interview with Kurir, Pilic, who trained a young Djokovic at his tennis academy in Munich, lauded the Serbian’s ability to peak at the biggest tournaments.
“I have been repeating since last year that ‘Nole’ is the GOAT and I will repeat and say that until everyone starts saying it,” said the Croatian.
“Of the 20 or 21 tournaments Djokovic plays in a year, five or six tournaments he plays in sixth gear, and when he plays like that, it doesn’t even matter who is on the other side. Djokovic showed that he is still above Alcaraz and Sinner and that is primarily due to his mental strength and self-confidence.
“I keep saying that there are two records that, in my understanding of tennis, are unattainable. They are Nadal’s 14 titles at Roland Garros and Novak’s 400 weeks in first place, which will be 410 until the Australian Open. I’ve been watching tennis for 65 years and that’s the record for all time.”
The six-time ATP titlist also hit out at the media that he feels disrespects Djokovic by downplaying his success and not recognising him as the greatest tennis player ever.
“The Western press belittles Novak’s every success and they don’t want to accept that he is the GOAT, and that is already a finished story,” asserted the 84-year-old.
“Today I received a German magazine and on the cover is [Roger] Federer in a tuxedo. What will Federer do on the front page the day after the tournament in Turin?
“With due respect for everything he has done, he has already been in a well-deserved retirement for a year. That’s their belittling, but in vain: Novak won and told them ‘arrivederci guys.’”
