© Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Boris Becker is in awe of Novak Djokovic’s astonishing longevity as the German tennis legend has declared the Serb “the dominator of the tennis scene.” At the age when many players are well past their prime or retired, 36-year-old Djokovic is winning Grand Slams and breaking the biggest tennis records.
This past season, Djokovic won three Grand Slams to become the first-ever male player with 24 Grand Slams. The only Slam where Djokovic didn’t win it all this year was Wimbledon, where the Serb was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller.
“You’re not really meant to play tennis like that at the age of 36. When does the guy get tired, or when does he run out of motivation? Novak is the dominator of the tennis scene – he has won three out of four Grand Slams [in 2023], then came second in that fabulous Wimbledon final against [Carlos] Alcaraz.
For me, that was the best match of the year. With all due respect to all the other winners, Djokovic against Alcaraz was out of this world,” Becker told Eurosport Germany’s ‘Das Gelbe vom Ball’ podcast.
Becker hopes Djokovic continues to play at the highest level
In 2023, young stars Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune further elevated their games.
Going forward, Becker expects the younger guys to keep improving. Also, Becker would like to see Djokovic continue to play at the highest level so tennis fans get even more exciting rivalries between the Serb and the younger guys.
“He will be 37 years old next May, whereas Alcaraz and co will be better and more experienced. I think the best thing that can happen for the tennis scene as a whole is for Djokovic to remain strong and for the younger generation to come closer.
In other words, I still expect Djokovic to win a Grand Slam or two. But I also believe that Alcaraz and co will more often throw a spanner in the works. I hope that this rivalry between the most successful player of all time and the rest of the tennis world continues for a long time, because we tennis fans and amateur players benefit from it,” Becker said.
