Djokovic is compared to Messi.

Former world number one Boris Becker compared the career of his former pupil 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, led Argentina to the World Cup last year at the age of 35 with seven goals and the Ballon d'Or. LeBron James became the highest scorer in NBA history last season, and this year he surpassed that record of 39,000 points despite being 38 years old. Tom Brady shone and won the American football championship at nearly 50 years old.

Becker, who coached Djokovic from 2013-2016, believes the Serbian player has surpassed all physical limits in tennis. He said: "In Paris, Djokovic played three hours against Holger Rune, then three hours against Andrey Rublev, and showed no signs of fatigue before beating Dimitrov in the final. He repeated that at the ATP Finals. I think Nole will continue to do so for a long time."

Djokovic holds all the most important tennis records, from the number of Grand Slams, Masters 1000 titles, ATP Finals, to the number of weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. Thanks to his strict diet and training regimen, Djokovic has proven to be more resilient than his younger counterparts. He only played 12 tournaments this year but won seven, reached the finals of all four Grand Slams, and won three of them.

Carlos Alcaraz was the only player to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam this season, at Wimbledon in July. But Becker believes the young Spaniard lacks consistency and has made almost no progress over the past year.

"Alcaraz beat Djokovic and became world number one, but he couldn't maintain that form," said Holger Rune's coach. "Anyone can have a good tournament or a successful year. But maintaining that for a long time is very difficult. Alcaraz has gone six months without a win. I feel that others are developing while Alcaraz isn't."

While warning of a potential slowdown in Alcaraz's development, Becker acknowledged the 20-year-old's exceptional talent. He said: "I enjoy watching him play. He has impressive skills and versatility. But he's being figured out. He needs to develop, improve, and be more innovative."

Vy Anh

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/djokovic-duoc-vi-nhu-messi-4681945.html