Google News Corretja: Unfair that historic No. 1 is unnoticed only because it is held by Djokovic
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 3658
Novak Djokovic entered the 363rd week at the No. 1 ranking this Monday and that created an even bigger distance between him and Roger Federer. Federer held the No. 1 ranking for 310 weeks, before Djokovic claimed the historic No.
1 ranking. Alex Corretja, a former world No. 2, thinks the historic No. 1 ranking isn't given much attention only because it is not owned by Federer or Rafael Nadal. Djokovic is among the top favorites to finish as the GOAT and many believe that the historic No.
1 ranking should play a role when determining the GOAT. Nadal owns a record 21 Grand Slam titles, while Djokovic and Federer each have 20 Majors. "There is one thing about Novak that in my opinion will not be overcome for a very, very long time!
Now he has been the world number one for 363 weeks! And this record went completely unnoticed. That is unfair. Because if that record was held by Nadal or Federer, it would be permanently highlighted as something unattainable and unsurpassed," Corretja said, per Telegraf.rs.
Djokovic facing an uncertain future on the Tour
Djokovic wasn't allowed to compete at the Australian Open and Nadal took advantage of it and won his second Australian Open title. Djokovic is expected to be allowed to play the French Open but his chances of finishing as the GOAT have taken a hit.
Tennis coach Brad Gilbert recently said he thought Djokovic would be unstoppable around this time but then the whole COVID-19 thing happened. "Before any of this with COVID happened, I thought that Novak Djokovic would be unstoppable around this time.
[But now], it's all just a mystery with him," Gilbert said on the latest episode of the Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe podcast. "I just think that when you get so much equity by winning matches - which he had tons of - and all of a sudden you're not playing and all these things that happened with COVID, I think it's been mentally taxing."
