"Is Novak Djokovic the greatest? The figures speak for themselves" - Lucas Pouille

France's Lucas Pouille recently showered rich praise on Novak Djokovic's career achievements and longevity.

Pouille, who was ranked as high as 10th in the world in 2018, recently spoke to Eurosport on the 24-time Major winner's stranglehold on men's tennis. The Frenchman asserted that the Serb has the most plausible shot at the GOAT title, saying:

“Is Novak Djokovic the greatest? Yes, well yes, the figures speak for themselves. For me, yes, it’s the biggest. He’s the GOAT as they say."

The 29-year-old also extended his respect to Novak Djokovic for still being on top of his game at the age of 36. While he believes that the 24-time Major winner will likely play for a few more years, he did wonder whether the Serb's drive to win titles will take a hit in the near future.

"Today, he is 36 years old, he has 19, 20 years of career, he has almost 100 titles and he is still just as hungry and what is extraordinary is that he still seems the freshest on the ground. I think he can play for two, three, or even four more years. The question is rather whether the desire will still be there," Pouille added.

Pouille elaborated more on what it takes to dominate the top-most rungs of professional tennis.

"The desire to continue to make all these efforts, these sacrifices to be at the highest level. But for me, he still has the energy to play for a very long time," he said.

Novak Djokovic has put together an exemplary 2023 ATP Tour season

Novak Djokovic celebrates at the 2023 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has enjoyed a great season in 2023. The Serb has won 51 of his 56 matches on the ATP tour this year, and is also on an 18-match unbeaten run currently.

The 36-year-old has won six titles this year: the Australian Open, the French Open, the US Open, the Cincinnati Open, the Paris Masters and the Adelaide International. He also finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon, losing a thrilling five-set battle against Carlos Alcaraz in the championship match.

Notably, the Serb has also romped to 13 victories against top 10 opposition this year, dropping only three matches against that class of players on ATP. He is currently a firm favourite to win the 2023 ATP Finals, which begins on November 12.

The 24-time Major winner will be eager to move past Roger Federer's record haul of six year-ending championship triumphs in Turin.