Boris Becker: Novak Djokovic’s ‘life dream’ to win GOAT debate, ‘perfect’ Roger Federer ‘too good to be true’

Boris Becker says that Novak Djokovic is step closer to achieving his ‘life’s dream’ following his latest Australian Open success.

The victory also saw him move level with Rafael Nadal on 22 Grand Slams as the two male players with the most majors of the Open era.

Becker, speaking on Eurosport Germany’s tennis podcast ‘Das Gelbe vom Ball’, says that Djokovic’s entire career to date has been focused on being the greatest of all time and this latest win will only serve to help him achieve that goal.

“Novak is 35 years old and he knows at 40 he won’t manage this performance,” he said. “I think it will be a hell of a ride after the Australian Open. It will be a completely different act and a completely different burden in Paris and Wimbledon.

“Success is his life’s dream, he wants to become the most successful player in history.

“Even as a child he said: I’m going to be the best – and he was right. And now he is at the limit.”

Djokovic and Nadal remain locked in the battle for Grand Slam supremacy following the retirement of Roger Federer last year.

The Swiss superstar called time on his career after reaching 20 majors – a feat he achieved before his two on-court rivals – with his last title also coming at the Australian Open back in 2018.

Despite not finishing with the most Grand Slams, Becker believes that Federer’s legacy will be untouched and that his reach actually stretches beyond the sport.

“Maybe the sports ambassador, not just tennis ambassador. The world hasn’t seen anything like that yet. You can take footballers and basketball players and track and field athletes. This total package Roger Federer – and then he also grew up in neutral Switzerland.

“With Roger, everything is so perfect, almost too good to be true. That will never happen again in tennis and that is also why tennis has become such a global sport. Good luck to the guys who want to take over.”

Becker believes that regardless what happens in the pursuit of the most Grand Slam titles, time is against both Djokovic and Nadal.

The six-time major winner is predicting that both a close to the end of their respecting and illustrious careers meaning the door is open for a new generation of stars.

However, Becker thinks the ‘big three’ have effectively transcended the sport, and the task faced by the newest crop of talent to replicate what we have seen from Federer, Nadal and Djokovic is a daunting one.

“We are seeing the generational change at the moment,” he added. “Roger Federer is already gone, Rafael Nadal is one step away for me. He will play Paris, after that I see a question mark.

“Novak Djokovic will definitely go through this season, but if he makes 23 [Grand Slams] and turns 36 next year, then it’s a question of time. The generational change is happening now.

“I mean, that’s a hell of a hurdle. One is to win Grand Slams, the other is to represent the sport. With Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, we have had three idols who have attracted not only tennis fans but sports fans in general. This has made our sport more global and richer. That’s why there is this prize money and advertising investment.

“That becomes the big challenge for the boys: Not only to win, but also to represent something – and that’s a whole other construction site”.