Murray hails Djokovic as greatest athlete in sporting history
By Olaolu Joseph
On the eve of the Australian Open, Sir Andy Murray offered a fresh perspective on the debate surrounding tennis’s greatest of all time.
When asked to evaluate Novak Djokovic, his new coaching client, and their chances of winning the tournament, Murray responded: “If Novak can go out as a 38, 39-year-old and win more slams, and beat [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner in big matches, he’s got a claim to be the best athlete of all time.”
Murray wasn’t limiting his praise to tennis. For him, Djokovic had long since secured his place as tennis’s GOAT. Instead, Murray was advocating for Djokovic as the pre-eminent performer in all of sports – potentially in the entirety of sporting history.
Initially, this might have seemed like an overstatement. But after watching Djokovic defeat Alcaraz in four electric sets on Tuesday night, Murray’s statement carried more weight than ever.
Who else could achieve this? Which 37-year-old defeats a 21-year-old phenomenon over five sets while carrying an injury in the hip, thigh, or groin area?
The match was compelling. This was the biggest age gap for a Grand Slam quarter-final since a 19-year-old Andre Agassi faced a 36-year-old Jimmy Connors at the 1989 US Open.
On that night, Agassi emerged victorious in a five-set thriller, later telling reporters: “The longer the match went on, the more it leaned towards my side. My strategy was to make him work.”
But on January 21, 2025, Alcaraz found himself unable to break Djokovic’s vice-like grip on the match. Over three-and-a-half hours, Djokovic anticipated the moves of the new generation’s best shot-maker, rendering him almost helpless.
Where are the parallels for such an extraordinary performance at Djokovic’s age, especially in a physically demanding individual sport? Andy Roddick, the former world No. 1, often says, “Time is undefeated,” yet Djokovic is coming closer than anyone to defying the clock.
Consider the iconic line by BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter, celebrating Muhammad Ali’s victory over George Foreman in Kinshasa: “Oh my God! He’s won the title back at 32!” By Djokovic’s standards, Ali was a youngster.
Will this Australian Open mark the end of Djokovic’s dominance? Or could he claim an 11th Australian Open crown and become the first player – male or female – to achieve 25 major titles?
The draw is opening up for him. At the time of writing, the tournament’s top-ranked players were still in contention. However, Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, has been in inconsistent form.
Another potential record looms: if Djokovic were to defeat the top three seeds en route to the title, he would achieve yet another unprecedented feat.
Admittedly, Djokovic’s fitness remains uncertain. There is still an outside chance that he might withdraw before Friday’s semi-finals. But if he competes, expect fireworks. Two more wins would only further cement his place at the pinnacle of sporting greatness.
