Yevgeny Kafelnikov, a former world tennis No. 1 and Olympic champion, recently stirred debate by snubbing Novak Djokovic in the discussion of the greatest athlete of all time, despite acknowledging the Serbian as the greatest tennis player ever. Kafelnikov, who holds basketball legend Michael Jordan in the highest regard, ranked Djokovic in the top three athletes of all time but stopped short of naming him the best.
Djokovic’s illustrious career reached a new pinnacle this month when he secured the last missing honor: an Olympic gold medal. The 37-year-old defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a tightly contested final in Paris, winning 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–2) to achieve the Golden Slam—comprising victories at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open, and the Olympic Games. This victory placed Djokovic among an elite group of just five men in tennis history to accomplish this feat.
Kafelnikov, however, maintains that while Djokovic’s tennis accomplishments are unparalleled, they don’t elevate him above Jordan in the broader realm of athletic greatness. Speaking to Tennis Majors, the 50-year-old Russian expressed his admiration for Jordan, stating, “There’s no doubt that Novak is the greatest tennis player of all time, that’s for sure. You can’t put him on the same level as Michael Jordan… I don’t think so, because I grew up idolizing the greatest athlete of all time, which was Michael Jordan. All I wanted to do was watch him play live. To me, he’s still number one, but Novak is definitely in the top three greatest athletes of all time, without a doubt – all the accomplishments, the records he’s broken, the titles he’s won.”
Djokovic’s career is one of unmatched consistency and success. His collection of major titles includes 10 Australian Open victories, three French Open titles, seven Wimbledon championships, four US Open wins, and now an Olympic gold medal. These achievements make him one of the most decorated athletes in tennis history.
Despite his incredible success, Kafelnikov wonders what lies ahead for Djokovic now that he has won everything there is to win in tennis. He suggests that Djokovic might continue to compete out of pure love for the sport rather than a need to prove himself further. “Novak stayed motivated because he wanted to win the gold medal. Right now, it’s going to be hard to find the motivation. He doesn’t need to prove to anybody that he is better than Federer and Nadal, that’s for sure. What next? I have no idea,” Kafelnikov mused. “If he wants to continue playing for the pure joy of playing, fair enough, nobody will criticize him for that. Again, he has accomplished everything, I don’t know how he can find the motivation to go further than he already has. That’s how I see it.”
Djokovic, for his part, has indicated that retirement is not yet on the horizon. Ahead of the Olympics, he stated that he would continue to play as long as he enjoys the competition, despite the inevitable end of his career drawing closer. “I don’t have retirement close in my mind, to be honest. Even though I know a lot of people would love me to retire. I think as long as there is at least one of us left in the competition, I think the era is still going,” Djokovic said. He acknowledged the rise of younger talents like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who are poised to lead the next generation of tennis stars, but expressed his satisfaction in still being able to compete at a high level. “I’ve been present for the shift of many generations in the last 15 years, I like to see that, but I think it’s also great I’m still able to play. Of course, the end is nearer than the beginning, I know that. I still enjoy competition and I’ll keep going until I don’t enjoy it any more.”
As Djokovic continues to defy time and expectations, the debate over his place among the greatest athletes will undoubtedly persist. But for now, he remains focused on the game he loves, even as the twilight of his career approaches.