 "Novak Djokovic spoke on his tennis achievements and legacy in an interview with Piers Morgan. Image: Reuters")
Novak Djokovic recently gave a tell-all interview to British broadcaster Piers Morgan, opening up on a range of topics, including Jannik Sinner’s doping scandal, whether he is the best player of all time and how he would want to be remembered.
With 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic is the greatest men’s tennis player of all time, but at 38, the Serbian great has found it tough to win majors lately. He reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams in 2025, but could not win any. All Grand Slams since 2024 have been shared equally between Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner.
Djokovic last won a Grand Slam at the US Open 2023.
Nonetheless, Djokovic’s legacy is already etched in gold after he broke the dominance of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and went on to win more Grand Slams than the legendary duo.
Djokovic speaks on GOAT debate
During his interview with Morgan, Djokovic was asked if he feels his the greatest of all time (GOAT). The tennis star refused to call him the goat as he felt it was impossible to compare players of different generations.
“I’m not going to say whether I’m the greatest or not because it’s not my position to say that,” he said. “And I would say that would be very disrespectful to those who have paved the way for Nadal, Federer and all the others.
“It’s so hard to compare eras; our sport has gone through quite a transformation in the last 50 years.”
Djokovic specifically named John McEnroe and Björn Borg as legends who were the inspirations for the players of his generation.
On Alcaraz and Sinner challenge
When asked about his struggles against Alcaraz and Sinner, Djokovic said that the last two years have come as a reality check for him.
“I believe that to some extent I am the superman who can never injure myself, that can never be weak,” Djokovic said. “But I got a slap from reality in the last couple of years. I’m just getting to know this new chapter.”
Djokovic, however, also added that he is never going to stop believing in his abilities.
“I’m aware that [comparing] my best level now and their best level now, they’re better. That’s the reality,” Djokovic said. “I have always believed in things that are almost impossible to achieve.
“I do have doubts that I can win Slams against these two guys. But when I enter the court, I don’t care who’s across the net.
“I always believe I’m better and I deserve to win.”
Djokovic speaks on Sinner doping scandal
Djokovic also touched upon Sinner’s doping case. The Italian served a three-month suspension after a banned substance, Clostebol, was found in his sample. While Sinner did not plead guilty and blamed his support staff for the unfortunate episode, many in the tennis fraternity felt that the Italian was given a very lenient punishment.
Djokovic felt that the episode would haunt Sinner for a long time .
“That cloud will follow him forever like Covid vaccine situation for me,” he said, referring to the 2022 case when he was deported from Australia for failing to take the Covid vaccine.
He also slammed how the authorities handled the whole doping matter.
“It’s just something that was so major. … Over time, it will fade, but I don’t think it will ever disappear,” Djokovic said.
“When this happened, I was shocked, honestly,” he said. “I do think that he didn’t do it on purpose, but the way the whole case was handled is so many red flags.”
On his legacy
When asked how Djokovic would want to be remembered as a tennis player after his retirement, he took the name of Nikola Pilić, the former Croatian player and coach who died in September. Djokovic used to refer to Pilić as his “tennis father” and was also visibly emotional while playing tribute to him last week in Athens.
“The human connections that he (Pilić) has left behind and established throughout his life and his career,” Djokovic said. “How he touched people’s hearts who were not just there at the funeral, but at the tennis club, post-funeral. … The way people talked about him, it was not about tennis and what he has achieved as a player, as a coach, who he has coached.
“It was about who he was as a person, how he conducted himself with people, how he changed the lives of young people or anybody who he has (been) coming close to. That’s how I want to be remembered.”