Juan Martin del Potro has said that Novak Djokovic can settle the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate in men’s tennis if he wins a couple more Grand Slam titles. The Serb currently holds 24 Majors.

Djokovic won three Majors last year: the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. He lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in a thrilling five-set encounter.

Del Potro, who won the US Open in 2009, was in attendance at the Miami Open on March 25, where he watched the third round between Alcaraz and Gael Monfils. Afterwards, the Argentine shared his thoughts on the GOAT debate.

“Novak still has a long way to go, he won more titles than them and it is still being discussed. I believe that if he wins a couple more Grand Slams, there will no longer be a discussion no matter how many fans there are of Roger and Rafa,” Del Potro told the media.

“Each one was the best in history at different times. In the period from 2006 to 2009 Roger was unbeatable, but if you went to clay there Rafa was the best,” he added.

Rafael Nadal, who has won 22 Grand Slams, continues to compete actively on the tour. Meanwhile, Roger Federer has retired from professional tennis with 20 Major trophies in his cabinet.

Novak Djokovic: “I leave the GOAT debate to others”

Novak Djokovic once remarked that it’s other people’s job to determine who the GOAT is. He expressed pride in his own tennis achievements but maintained his respect for other eras in the sport.

“I am who I am, I am proud of what I have accomplished, but I respect other eras and all opinions and I leave the GOAT debate to others. This is my answer,” Djokovic told French daily L’Equipe in an interview in December 2023.

According to the Serb, there are three possible responses to the question. The first is claiming to be the best, the second is denying it to show humility, and the third, the real answer, is leaving the debate to others.

“We can provide three answers. The first: ‘I am the best.’ If we think that, we will say: ‘How arrogant he is! He doesn’t respect others.’ The second answer is to say: ‘I don’t think I’m the greatest’ while showing complete humility which is possible,” Djokovic continued.