“I Think He Can Go for…”: Novak Djokovic’s First Grand Slam Rival Gives “GOAT” a Target

Nova Djokovic’s former rival Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has backed the Serbian to win more Grand Slams in the coming years. The Frenchman hailed Djokovic as the greatest player of all time and praised his relentless hunger for titles. The former world number 5 further added that he thinks Djokovic can win up to 28 Grand Slam titles.

Novak Djokovic sits on top of the men’s Grand Slam winners list with 24. The Serbian is on a great run of form on the back of a successful 2023 season where he won 3 Grand Slam titles. Now 36, Djokovic is still going strong, giving the younger generation a run for their money.

As said to Republicain Lorrain in an interview, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has admitted that he thinks Djokovic can win 28 Grand Slams if he continues in similar vein. The Frenchman, who had played in the ‘Big Three’ era further added that Djokovic is the GOAT ahead of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“The GOAT is Djokovic. And I think he can go for 25, 26, 27… maybe 28 Grand Slam tournaments. You never know.”

Tsonga knows what it is like to win. The Frenchman won 18 ATP titles, two of which were at the Masters 1000 level. He announced his retirement in 2020 after the French Open.

Tsonga came closest to winning a Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 2008 when he reached the final as an unseeded player. However, Novak Djokovic defeated the Frenchman in the final to win his maiden Grand Slam title.

Now, with Novak Djokovic still going strong, Tsonga believes that the Serbian is still the favorite in every tournament that he competes in. The Serbian is set to compete at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Novak Djokovic set for the ATP Finals 2023

Novak Djokovic is the world number 1 and looks set to stay their for the year-end rankings. The Serbian is the favorite to win the ATP Finals in Turin as he looks to defend his title. The 24-tme Major winner can also claim a record breaking seventh ATP Finals title, as he is currently tied at 6 with Roger Federer.

The Serbian is in the same group as Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Serbian needs just one win to confirm his year-end number 1 ranking. Home favorite, Sinner will look to spoil Serbian’s party along with rivals Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz.