"Novak Djokovic is the best tennis player regarding helping others" - Former player and tennis coach Petar Popovic

Apart from the fact that he is one of the best players ever to hold a racquet, Novak Djokovic is also known to be among the most generous and kind-hearted players on the tour, as he is always looking out to help anyone in need.

There have been countless examples over the years where the Serb has been thanked and appreciated for his silent contribution towards a particular player, someone's foundation, or a specific cause. His distressing childhood is often seen as one of the main reasons behind his becoming a philanthropic as his family spent a part of that time in poverty.

Former Serbian player and coach Petar Popovic recently joined Craig Shapiro on his podcast and spoke about the 21-time Grand Slam champion and his team. The one thing that Popovic emphasized the most was how Djokovic was the best tennis player for him as far as helping others was concerned.

"I know them very well because we are a small country and we have traveled together and I have known him since he was very young. The first thing that I'll say about Novak is that for me, he is the best tennis player regarding helping others. He's amazing. He was fighting for players who are ranked 100-150, which he didn't need to do," he said.

"He also has a national center here and he's giving free practice to the best of Serbians and Croatians. He's really a giving person and I'm not saying it because he's Serbian, I'm stating facts," he added.

At the same time, the 40-year-old made it clear that he didn't agree with his compatriot on his stance on COVID-19 vaccination.

"The thing about vaccination is that I'm not sharing his point of view. I was the first one to get vaccinated. So I have 180° different point of view about that," he stated.

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"I think Roger Federer will leave a bigger mark than Novak Djokovic, he is a bigger icon than Rafael Nadal" - Tomas Berdych

Roger Federer (L), Rafael Nadal (C), and Novak Djokovic

Former Czech Republic player Tomas Berdych is best known for surprising the tennis world at the 2010 Wimbledon when he defeated Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals and the semifinals respectively. He was stopped by Rafael Nadal in the finals, who lifted his second title in London.

The 37-year-old weighed in on the GOAT debate recently after Federer's retirement at the 2022 Laver Cup. Unlike most followers of the game, Berdych decided to ignore the stats and pick the Swiss legend over his greatest rivals as the greatest player ever. According to him, it was Federer who started this great era of tennis.

"Those who want to compare the best by numbers will find arguments for different options," Berdych said. "The number of Grand Slams may be the most objective measure, but there are athletes who have left a great mark. I think Roger will leave a bigger mark than Djokovic. I think he is a bigger icon than Nadal. Perhaps because he started this great era. What he did for tennis cannot be surpassed by any result.

Berdych credited Federer for inspiring youngsters to watch and pick up the sport seriously.

“A lot of people watched games or started playing because of his ability. That's what makes it superior to the others. Though of course, I can understand if a fan finds something special in Nadal, Djokovic or other players," he added.