"I think he has Federer's genius, with Nadal's mental and physical strength"- Flavio Saretta on Novak Djokovic

In a recent interview with Betway, former player and renowned commentator Flavio Saretta heaped praise on Novak Djokovic, describing him as "more of a player" than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Brazilian also claimed that the Serb has Federer's "genius" mind and Nadal's "mental and physical strength."

Saretta further stressed that he "likes" the way World No. 1 Novak Djokovic plays during "difficult moments" and comes out as a winner.

"As I like a good controversy, I'll say that I think Djokovic is more of a player. I think he has Federer's genius, with Nadal's mental and physical strength. I really like how he comes out of difficult moments. Gigantic and he's been playing with fans since he was born, so I think he's even bigger," said Saretta.

Despite hinting that Djokovic is the GOAT for him, Saretta feels that the number of Grand Slam titles won by each member of the big three will be the biggest determining factor for deciding who is GOAT.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer at an event

"I think that 50 years from now, the comparison will be measured by the number of Grand Slams that each one has, there's no way," added the former Brazilian player.

As of now, Nadal leads the Grand Slam race with 21 Majors after his glory at the 2022 Australian Open, a tournament where Djokovic didn't feature. As a result, Djokovic and Federer are currently tied with 20 slams each and are one Major behind the Spaniard.

Rafael Nadal hopes the COVID-19 pandemic will end soon, says it will be a "good thing" as then Novak Djokovic will be able to play at Majors

Rafael Nadal with Novak Djokovic at the French Open 2021

Djokovic was barred from taking part at the 2022 Australian Open because he was unvaccinated. In an interview with the BBC, he put forward a firm stance and emphasized that he would not be taking the vaccine against COVID-19 even if he was not allowed to play at the upcoming Majors.

Addressing Djokovic's situation at a press conference ahead of the Acapulco Open, Nadal hoped that the pandemic would end soon so that the Serb could play at the Grand Slams even "without being vaccinated."

"It will affect your story whether you can play or not. I don't know if it will affect the Grand Slams. Everyone makes their decisions and must live with them. In this sense, hopefully the pandemic improves in every way and ceases to have died. Whether or not he is vaccinated, the good thing would be for Novak to play again. If Djokovic can play the Grand Slams without being vaccinated, welcome," said Nadal.

Novak Djokovic will lock horns against Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in the first round of the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday.