Djokovic is likened to Messi

Former world number one Boris Becker has compared the career of his former player Novak Djokovic to that of superstars Lionel Messi and Lebron James.

Becker (left) helped Djokovic win six Grand Slams between 2013 and 2016. Photo: AP

Messi, who was born in 1987 like Djokovic, last year led Argentina to the World Cup championship at the age of 35 with seven goals and the Golden Ball award. Lebron James became the highest scorer in NBA history last season, this year increasing his record to over 39,000 points despite being 38 years old. Tom Brady shined and won the American football championship at the age of U50.

Becker, who coached Djokovic from 2013 to 2016, believes the Serbian has surpassed the physical limits of tennis. "In Paris, Djokovic played three hours against Holger Rune, then three hours against Andrey Rublev and didn't seem tired at all, before beating Dimitrov in the final. He did it again at the ATP Finals. I think Nole will do that for a long time," he said.

Djokovic holds all the major tennis records, from Grand Slams, Masters 1000s, ATP Finals to weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. Thanks to his strict diet and training regimen, Djokovic has shown more endurance than his juniors. He has only played 12 tournaments this year but has won seven, reached the finals of all four Grand Slams and won three of them.

Carlos Alcaraz is the only man to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam this season, at Wimbledon in July. But Becker believes the young Spaniard has been inconsistent and has barely improved over the past year.

"Alcaraz beat Djokovic and became world number one but he couldn't maintain his form," said Holger Rune's coach. "Anyone can have a good tournament or a good year. But it's very difficult to maintain that over a long period of time. Alcaraz has been without a trophy for half a year. I feel like the others are developing and Alcaraz isn't."

Becker warned that Alcaraz's development had stalled, but admitted the 20-year-old was a special talent. "I love watching him," he said. "He has an impressive skill set and versatility. But he is being read. He has to develop, improve and be fresh."

Vy Anh

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