By: Riha Rao Image credit: People
After the Serbian won the 2023 Australian Open, former American tennis player Jimmy Connors commended Novak Djokovic on his tennis skills.
Grand Slam winner Connors said: "I want to say this, the guy's one f**king great tennis player, right? He is not afraid to go out there and play the game, his game. Win or lose. He's not afraid to put it on the line. He knows he's got a bullseye on his back. Even more now."
"He plays the game, he's not afraid to mix it up. He is not afraid to take the ball early, he's not afraid to get 20 balls to a point. He's not afraid to figure out a way to win. And, and, you know, to me, I like seeing that," he added.
For about the past 20 years, tennis fans have debated over who the GOAT is, despite the fact that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic all possess the qualifications necessary to hold the title.
Connors made the suggestion that the Big 3's competition helped each of them attain such high levels of tennis achievement.
Regardless of their discipline, outstanding athletes constantly discover something that motivates them to do even better each and every day, according to the former world number one.
Connors said: "Rivalries are so great. That's why people show up to watch the game, watch the match, and watch the excitement. Sometimes you got to find a reason, find a reason to dig deeper and come out on top and win."
"Every great player, they'll find something that pushes them to the limit. That's what drives guys like Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky, Pete Rose and Muhammad Ali. They always find something to dig down deeper to push them over the top to where they can continue to give it their all." he concluded.
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