” I think the Novak Djokovic of 2023 is a better player than the Novak Djokovic of 2015″ – Mouratoglou

The French coach believes that Djokovic has settled the GOAT debate once and for all after his incredible 2023 season

Novak Djokovic poses with the world No 1 trophy in 2023 (left) and 2015 (right) Image Credit: BPI / Chryslene Caillaud/ Panoramic/ Tennis Majors

Haresh Ramchandani

November 30, 2023

Bren Gray

Novak Djokovic won three of the four Grand Slams in 2023 and reached the final of the fourth. He also won the ATP Finals and finished the season as world No 1. The Serb had also won three Majors, the ATP Finals and finished as year-end world no 1 in 2015, leading many to speculate if Djokovic in 2023 was better than Djokovic in 2015.

French coach Patrick Mouratoglou (also the co-founder of Tennis Majors) recently weighed in with his opinion in an Eye of the Coach video, saying that Djokovic version 2023 is a better player than the Serb in 2015.

“It’s interesting to think if the Novak of 2023 is a better player than the Novak of 2015. I think the Novak of today is better,” he said. “His game evolved, his confidence evolved, he’s played so many more matches. He has so much more height when looking at his game, looking at his opponent. He didn’t drop physically. If he had have dropped physically, then probably the Novak of 2015 would have been a better player than the Novak of 2023. But his fitness level I think is the same. He’s as fast, he’s as flexible, he’s as balanced when he hits his shots, he’s as resistant. So, he’s a better player today, yes.”

I’ve never seen in the history of tennis someone who is on top of their game at 36, as much as they were at 26, 28.
Patrick Mouratoglou on Novak Djokovic

Mouratoglou added that Djokovic’s 2023 season was on par with the Serb’s 2015 season and that he is amazed by the Serb’s ability to dominate the game for so long.

“I think the 2023 season of Novak is one of the best of his career. As good as the best ones he had in the past, 2015 for example, which is crazy when you think about it, because there is almost 10 years between those seasons. At 36 years old, it is something unheard of,” Mouratoglou said.

“I think the famous debate about who is the GOAT is completely dead now” – Mouratoglou

“I’ve never seen in the history of tennis someone who is on top of their game at 36, as much as they were at 26, 28. It’s a whole career of being at the top. He had one or two difficult years, but most of his career he’s been at the top of his game, even though he played in the same era as Roger and Rafa, which says even more about how an incredible dominant player he is.”

Mouratoglou also believes that with Djokovic adding three more Slams, two Masters Series titles, another ATP Finals triumph and the season-ending world No 1 ranking to his legacy, the G.O.A.T. debate can be put to rest once and for all.

“I think the famous debate about who is the GOAT, I guess, is completely dead now after this incredible year, three more Grand Slams, plus one final. He has the record almost everywhere of all–number of Masters 1000s, number of weeks No 1, number of Grand Slams–and he’s still playing, he’s still at the top,” he said.

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