Novak Djokovic would mostly not match Roger Federer's popularity in Serbia too: Stan Smith

Former World No.1 and tennis great Stan Smith weighed in on the never-ending debate of who is the GOAT (greatest of all time) in the men's game today. In an interview with Ubitennis, he also gave his views on the comparisons between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The tennis legend, with more than 100 professional titles to his name, said that while Novak Djokovic may go down as the best player in the history of the game, the Serbian may struggle to see the kind of support Roger Federer experiences across the world.

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Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic: Who is better?

He said that if a Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic match would take place in the latter's home country of Serbia, the crowd would still be split 50-50 as such is the popularity that Roger Federer commands in the tennis world. Stan Smith said that while Roger Federer is more gracious to his opponents irrespective of the circumstances, Novak Djokovic shows his emotions a bit more and is a fighter. As a result, Novak Djokovic may struggle to muster as much support as Roger Federer even in his home country, Smith said.

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Stan Smith also gave his opinion on who are the greatest tennis players of all time. Speaking on the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) debate, he said that while it is difficult to compare players from different generations, he considers 6 players to be the best in the history of world tennis. On his list were the usual suspects of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal from the current crop of players. From the past, he picked Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver and Pete Sampras.

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Roger Federer’s popularity remains unmatched

Roger Federer is one of the most famous names in the history of tennis and is recognized by fans all over the world. Novak Djokovic has gone as far as to say that he has felt ‘unfair’ that he doesn’t receive as much support as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal do. The Swiss player has over the years become a brand name in itself.

Roger Federer was recently ranked as the highest-earning athlete alive in the world for the first time in his career by Forbes. The achievement was proof of his world-wide likability with Roger Federer earning a mammoth $100 million from endorsements and appearance fees.

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While Novak Djokovic may not be as popular as Roger Federer in the eyes of Stan Smith, he believes that the current World No.1 could finish as the greatest player of all time when he finishes his career. The 73-year-old said that Novak Djokovic will most likely break the Roger Federer record of 20 Grand Slams. The tally of Djokovic grand slams currently stands at 17. According to Smith, the fact that Novak Djokovic is younger than Roger Federer and fitter than Rafael Nadal can help him become the best in the world. 

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