Where does Novak Djokovic rank among the greats of tennis?

Updated October 12, 2016 10:23:55

Is Novak Djokovic the finest men's tennis player of all time? If not, who would you put ahead of him? Read the profiles of the tennis legends below and take our poll.

Roy Emerson: The Consummate Pro

At the forefront of tennis's charge into professionalism, the undervalued Roy Emerson's statistics still impress.

In an age when Australians dominated world tennis, Emerson and Rod Laver were the names that stood out, with 'Emmo' winning 12 individual major titles (including six Australian Opens in seven years), along with 16 in doubles.

It was his work ethic, versatility and unmatched fitness levels which drove the boy from Blackbutt, Queensland, to so much silverware. He was a brilliant volleyer with a booming serve, but a mark of his greatness was his ability to adjust his game for different conditions, evidenced by his multiple French Open wins in singles and doubles.

Emerson is often overlooked when the game's greats are mentioned as he nabbed many of his grand slams while Laver, who had already turned pro, was not competing against him. As Laver's great rival, however, and the man who held the record for the most grand slams right up until Pete Sampras came along, Emerson certainly doesn't deserve to be ignored.

Rod Laver: Rocket

With five of Rod Laver's best years lost to the record books due to the fact he turned professional before tennis officialdom deemed it proper, stats don't tell the full story of his remarkable career.

Not only is he one of just two men to have completed a calendar Grand Slam, he actually did it twice, in 1962 and 1969 on his way to 11 majors. And while the ATP only acknowledges 52 of his overall tournament wins, it is estimated he won close to 200.

The Rockhampton Rocket was, by all accounts, an absolute nightmare to play against due to his speed and supreme set of skills across all surfaces.

Most formidable was his Popeye-like forearm strength which enabled him to tear his left-hand forehands past hapless opponents.

Little wonder Roger Federer idolises him.

Bjorn Borg: Cold as ice

Men's tennis had some big personalities in the '70s. There were the charismatic chaps like McEnroe and Connors and 'Willy' Vilas. And then there was the Swedish robot with rock-star looks who was seemingly sent from the future to blast everyone away from the comfort of his baseline.

Ilie Nastase once said, "They should send Borg away to another planet. We play tennis. He plays something else."

They called him the Ice Man or the Ice Borg because he didn't show any emotion on the court. He didn't even seem to enjoy the game. Regardless, he won five Wimbledons in a row and four straight French Opens. He usually couldn't be bothered coming to the Australian Open because it was too far to travel.

He helped himself to 11 grand slams, then promptly retired at the age of 26. Borg is indisputably one of the best to have played the game. Imagine the consequences for everyone else if he had actually enjoyed tennis.

Pete Sampras: The Straight Shooter

He may never have been wildly popular, or have generated as many headlines as his fiercest foe, Andre Agassi, but that didn't seem to trouble Pete Sampras much while he ruled the tennis world for close to a decade.

If you were a sporting god designing what the ultimate tennis player would look like, you would likely end up with an end product closely resembling 'Pistol Pete'.

Tall and powerful, Sampras sent down first serves that were so consistently perfect that they have never been matched, before or since. But at a time when the game was adjusting to weaponised rackets and bouncier courts, the hulking American was far more than a big-hitting bully.

He could also move about the court like a panther, despite his hulking frame, and played with an aggression that belied his colourless off-court persona.

Sampras claimed the last of his major titles, fittingly, with a win over Agassi at the 2002 US Open, meaning he had amassed 14 by career's end, in an era that overlapped with quite a few legends' timelines.

Roger Federer: The Artist

You can argue all day about who the best men's tennis player is, but it's almost a given that nobody has mastered the game like Roger Federer.

Though by no means a lightweight (and boasting a brilliant first serve), the 17-time slam winner could never hope to match the likes of Nadal, Sampras or Djokovic in terms of pure power.

He more than makes up for it, though, with all those adjectives you would wish upon yourself if you were an athlete in a non-contact sport; his tennis is intelligent, elegant, artful, beautiful ... sublime.

The writer David Foster-Wallace described watching Federer as a religious experience.

For those reasons, those who say the Swiss is the G.O.A.T. can never be completely refuted, even if you believe the best of Laver or Sampras or Djokovic might beat the best of Federer.

Rafael Nadal: Power and passion

One of the reasons the Rafael Nadal v Roger Federer rivalry was so hard to watch at times was that they both seem like lovely blokes. It was difficult to see one of them lose any final, knowing neither really deserved to end up finishing second to anybody.

The 2008 Wimbledon final stands out in particular, because of Federer's post-match tears. Nadal had long been looming as his great nemesis, but to that point the Spanish player had only be able to assert his dominance on clay, conquering the French Open four times in a row.

In that Wimbledon final, though — considered by many as the best match ever — Nadal defeated the great Federer on his best surface, grass. And he made him cry.

It was horrible to watch but it marked a turning point in their rivalry, in which Nadal now had the upper hand.

His weapons on clay, that massive left arm and that tremendous hustle, had become so potent that they translated to all surfaces, helping Nadal to the number one ranking and 14 grand slam titles, as many as Sampras.

As it stands he now holds a 23-10 record over the Swiss, 9-2 in slams. It remains to be seen whether his body will again allow him to stand toe-to-toe with current world number one, Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic: The Kingslayer

No sooner had the tennis world become convinced that it was watching two of the finest tennis players of any generation play out one of the sport's great rivalries, than someone else came along and started regularly and convincingly beating both of them.

Novak Djokovic may not have accumulated as many major titles as Federer or Nadal just yet, but it is the manner in which he has surpassed that duo on the court must raise serious questions about his status in the pantheon. Yes, the Spaniard is now severely hobbled by the accumulation of injuries, and the Swiss is 34, but Djokovic has arguably been the superior player to the pair of them since he won nearly every tournament in sight when they were both at or near their respective peaks in 2011.

If you belong to the 'Federer is the G.O.A.T. and that's that' brigade, consider this: aside from divvying up majors with Nadal, the Fed Express conquered names such as Mark Philippoussis, Marcos Baghdatis, Fernando Gonzalez and Robin Soderling on his way to notching up a record 17 grand slam wins.

Djokovic, meanwhile, has had to face Federer, Nadal or Andy Murray in 17 of his 19 finals, on his way to winning 11 of them.

Like a coiled-up spring, the Serb's wiry physique is capable of unleashing tremendous power, and he boasts just about every weapon the modern game requires to attack and counter-attack his way to success; a searing first serve, a reliable second serve, unbelievable defence and the capability to laser-guide his shots to all corners of the court at will.

He pushes his body relentlessly past its limits, but if it can withstand that strain for another few years he could end his career with more major titles than anybody.

Topics: australian-open, tennis, sport, australia

First posted February 01, 2016 16:36:15