'That is not fair' - Ivan Lendl hopes Novak Djokovic/Rafael Nadal GOAT debate is not 'affected by politics'

Ivan Lendl hopes that Novak Djokovic's absence from Grand Slam tournaments due to his vaccination status does not decide the debate about the greatest male tennis player of all time. Djokovic appears likely to miss the US Open having elected not to get the Covid vaccine, and was similarly absent from the Australian Open at the start of the year. Ad/> In his absence, Rafael Nadal moved on to 21 Grand Slam singles title with his second crown in Melbourne, further extending his record tally with a remarkable 14th triumph at Roland-Garros.

US Open'Zero hope' of rules changing to allow Djokovic to play US Open — IvanisevicA DAY AGO He now again sits only one ahead of Djokovic after the Serb's Wimbledon win. While agreeing that an ageing and increasingly injury-plagued Roger Federer faces a tough ask to fight his way back into the debate, Lendl believes that the so-called «GOAT» can only be declared once the three men have concluded their careers. But Lendl also fears that Djokovic's recent exclusions from majors may lead to Nadal facing tough questions over how the players' records would stack up had Djokovic been able to play every Grand Slam.

«That story is not over yet,» Lendl told Croatian channel Nova TV. «It will be finished when all three say goodbye. »At the moment, Roger seems to be out of it, because he hasn't played for a long time and he is the oldest.

It is fascinating to watch and follow, not only for people from the tennis world, but for everyone else, spectators, fans. «The only thing I regret a little bit is that the fight is somehow affected by politics at the moment because of the vaccination issue. I only hope that in 20 years we won't look at it through that prism, that we won't be sure who is the