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By Chris Oddo | Wednesday, January 13, 2016

 
Novak Djokovic 2015

According to Brad Gilbert, it's Novak Djokovic's ATP and the rest of the players are just paying their taxes.

Photo Source: Getty

“Right now Djoker is the taxman, he’s collecting, plain and simple,” says Brad Gilbert of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic as the ESPN conference call he’s participating in turns to the subject of the men’s side at next week’s Australian Open.

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The ten-time major champion has dominated the ATP Tour for quite some time now, but it really seems that for the first time, as the 2016 Grand Slam season beckons, Djokovic is truly being considered as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Where he’ll end up being ranked in the tennis pantheon is unclear. As Gilbert states, Djokovic is a “young 28,” and he’ll have time to assert his dominance even further this year and next.

“To me, more than anything, it's just absolutely full credit to Djokovic who won his first major in 2008, doesn't win his next one till 2011,” says Gilbert. “He had four consecutive years at being No. 3. Usually when somebody is this great, whether or not it's a man or a woman, it happens younger, their dominance. His dominance is starting later. Like I said, full credit to him to keep improving and becoming this incredible beast on the court.”

With the next generation of ATP stars still not ready to compete with Djokovic, and the other members of the big four seemingly unable to stop the Serb’s momentum, many believe that Djokovic could come out of 2016 with another three major titles—which would give him 13 for his career.

That number will surely will change the color of the perpetual GOAT talk that tennis fans love to take part in. Roger Federer has been considered the game’s de facto GOAT for years, and rightfully so—he’s won more Grand Slam hardware than any other player—but Djokovic is tennis’s IT right now.

Even Rafael Nadal had to give it up to his rival last week. After dropping a straight-sets decision to Djokovic in Doha, Nadal said the following words: “I played against a player who did everything perfect. I know nobody playing tennis like this ever. Since I know this sport I never saw somebody playing at this level.”

Australia’s top-ranked player, Bernard Tomic, feels similarly. "Yeah, Novak, it's just a joke now," Tomic told the Sydney Morning Herald. "It's amazing what he's doing. That's the reason why he's the best player in the world. I think even Roger and Rafa ... when you step on the court against Novak now it's like, 'how can you beat him?'. Even Rafa playing that final in Doha, it was amazing tennis to watch, but so comfortable, and on the score it just shows how much Novak is dominating the sport."

Djokovic was perfect—and perfectly scary—on that day Doha as he has been on so many days over the last year, but is the Serb’s dominance sustainable? He’ll turn 29 this year, and he’ll have a target on his back 24/7. Any display of weakness from him will certainly be met with hunger from his rivals. How long can his reign last under these conditions? And, when it does end, how will Djokovic be looked upon by the masses?

Right now, all Djokovic can do is try to maintain his grip on the top, and let the public’s perception of what it all means fall where it may. What he’s done up until now has certainly made believers out of many, including Gilbert.

“[Djokovic] has it all,” says Gilbert. “There’s nothing boring about his game. His backhand is scripted from God. Like an Andre [Agassi] backhand. His return of serve is incredible. His movement. I tend to look at it and think he’s got the complete package game-wise, technically, physically, mentally. I think [at times] people don’t want to give him the credit because they’re Rafa fans, they’re Fed fans. The picture I see on the other side of the net, that guy is the total package. He does everything great.”

With the Aussie Open set to begin next week in Melbourne, the Serb will set his sights on the major where it all started for him. The five-time Australian Open champion can tie Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg for fifth on the all-time major titles list with eleven, and start the year off with another huge statement.

Gilbert is one of many that thinks the odds are very good that Djokovic will be the last man standing in Melbourne, and on a few other podiums as well this season.

“He’s in the prime of his career,” Gilbert says. “To me, he’s set to do some unbelievable damage the next couple of years. He had one of the most dominant years last year.

“Right now he is as complete of a tennis player as I’ve ever seen.”

 

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