What tennis players really think about Novak Djokovic as Carlos Alcaraz threatens to dominate

Djokovic has often polarised opinion, however, and is no stranger to controversy after so many years in the spotlight.

He's now facing a new threat to his dominance in the form of Carlos Alcaraz, who beat the 36-year-old in the final of Wimbledon earlier this month.

But Mirza has claimed Djokovic has always been well respected by his fellow professionals - while also dubbing the Serb the greatest player of all time.

The former tennis star told Neeru Bhatia of The Week: "I do not know if he is misunderstood on the circuit; he is quite liked actually on the tour.

"Everybody has a lot of respect for him, as they should.

"But I think because it has been a Rafa-Roger [Nadal and Federer] rivalry, everyone spoke about him as the third man who kind of came in.

"Who would have thought he would surpass everybody one day?

"The debate will continue but I definitely think that, given the way Novak is playing physically, he has probably become the greatest ever male player if you look at the numbers.

"Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal forced each other to become the best and they credit each other, and also Novak, for pushing them to their limits."

Djokovic won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open all the way back in 2008.

By that point, Federer and Nadal were the sport's two dominant forces.

Ever since, however, Djokovic has continued to steamroll his way to titles - often defying the odds in the process.

He has 10 Australian Open crowns to his name, more than any men's player.

Djokovic has won three French Open titles, too, with those victories coming in 2016, 2021 and 2023.

Though Alcaraz was able to prevent the veteran from claiming Wimbledon earlier this month, the former world No 1 has still won seven times at the All-England Club.

And Djokovic has also lifted three US Open titles, too.

The Serb hasn't competed at Flushing Meadows since 2020, with his coronavirus vaccination status preventing him from taking part.

But Djokovic will be back in America this year and will be hoping to add to his haul of majors.

Earlier in the week, Djokovic withdrew from the National Bank Open.

And he explained his decision by saying: "I have always enjoyed my time in Canada but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take.

“I would like to thank Karl Hale, the tournament director, for understanding this decision.

"I really hope I can return to Canada and Toronto in the coming years to play in front of great fans there.”

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Djokovic is suffering from fatigue, hence his decision to pull out of the competition.