Tipsarevic: Novak's the GOAT

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After seven surgeries (yes, that number is correct) and multiple stops and starts in his career, former Top 10 player Janko Tipsarevic began yet another comeback at the Miami Open this week with his first tour-level victory since 2017 and his first at a Masters event since 2016. He defeated Bradley Klahn, 6-3 6-3, but fell in straight sets to Roberto Bautista Agut in second-round action at the Miami Open .

Tipsarevic (🎥@TennisTV ) #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/tICuHnqkRh
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) March 20, 2019

The 34-year-old, who founded the Janko Tipsarevic Tennis Academy in Belgrade in 2013, hopes to find his way back into the Top 100 by year’s end. He plans to use his protected ranking to play tournaments in Houston, Geneva and Roland Garros before playing a full grass-court schedule.

“It depends how this year goes," Tipsarevic told ATP Tennis Radio of his plans for this season and next. "If I’m able to finish the year within the top 100 and potentially within the beginning of the next year attack the Top 50 I will still compete and play tennis, if not, I don’t see myself really playing challengers at the age of 35, 36. I have a lot going on with the academy in Belgrade, I see myself doing other things really connected to tennis.”

He added, hopefully: “I feel if my body holds up and I’m able to play pain free, I don’t think that it’s utterly impossible if I come back to the Top 100.”

While the former World No.8 isn’t sure about his future on the court, he did express the utmost confidence in his good friend and compatriot Novak Djokovic while being interviewed by Seb Lauzier of ATP Tennis Radio.

“I can tell you something with utmost certainty,” Tipsarevic said. “If you take all the top players, and I’m not obviously talking about Rafa on clay, if they are at their peak, playing their best tennis ever, Novak Djokovic is the best player of all-time.”

Whether Djokovic will win enough Slams to further cement the debate in his favor is another question, says Tipsarevic.

“You have certain records, thresholds, which also need to be broken,” he said. “I believe if his body holds up … it is possible [to break those records]. … I really think that he has a chance, we just need to see if that happens.”

Tipsarevic says that Djokovic provides the ultimate example of resiliency and dedication for the next generation of Serbian talent to follow.

“The amount of sacrifice, and I’m watching this from a front-row seat because he’s one of my closest friends, the amount of sacrifice that this guy is putting into his tennis life is incredible. So what he’s doing, he deserves to be, hopefully at one point the best player of all-time.”

By the way…just saw that my interview for @ATP_Tour about @DjokerNole caught some heat 🔥🔥🔥?
— Janko Tipsarevic (@TipsarevicJanko) March 23, 2019

Tipsarevic also had high praise for Laslo Djere, who trains at his academy at times. The Serb won the Rio title and won praise from fans and peers after opening up about the passing of his parents in an emotional trophy ceremony.

“He’s a primary example of what it means to dig deep,” Tipsarevic said. “He came as an underdog to [Rio] and I just hope that he uses it as a lecture to see that there is a chance that potentially one day [he can be] Top 20, Top 15, maybe even Top 10—who knows? The keep digging factor is not only how hard do you dig, it’s the persistence factor which trumps everything else.”

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