"No weaknesses anywhere in Novak Djokovic's game" - Mats Wilander on what sets the Serb apart from Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer

Roger Federer, Rafael and Novak Djokovic dominated the tennis world for years. Each of the three had their own strengths, which saw them lift 66 Grand Slam titles between them.

Dissecting their games in a recent interview with Eurosport, former World No. 1 Mats Wilander found a certain standout feature in the Djokvic’s game — that it had no weaknesses.

The Swede believed that Federer and Nadal had certain areas that opponents could exploit, but the Serb did not give his opponents any inroads.

"What we didn't realise is that there were no weaknesses anywhere in his game on any surface," Mats Wilander said. "I think it took a while for everybody to understand that he doesn't have weaknesses. [Roger Federer] has a weakness. [Rafael Nadal] has weaknesses. [Novak Djokovic] doesn't really have a weakness."

Elaborating, Wilander said people took some time to realise Djokovic’s greatness since it was more concealed. He said it was quite unlike Nadal and Federer, where you could see their unique skills in their technique and shots.

The Swede said Djokovic could hit the backhand in the league of the best. He argued the same logic for the Serb’s forehand and serve as well. The former pro even went on to liken the last aspect of Djokovic's game to Federer's serve, which he said was the best in the sport.

"With Novak, I think when he came on the circuit early on, we didn't see his greatness because his greatness was more inside of him than on the outside," Mats Wilander said. "I think with Roger and Rafa, the greatness, you could see it. You could see it in the shot, in the technique."

"Everybody wants to play like Roger Federer. With [Novak Djokovic], he hits the ball like most other pros. It's just that he hits his backhand like other pros that have the best backhand in the game, and he hits his forehand like all the other pros that have the best forehands in the game, and he hits his serve in the same spots as Roger Federer, who had the best serve in the game," he added.

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Novak Djokovic looks to extend Grand Slam lead over Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic during a practice session ahead of the 2024 Wimbledon.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were once tied in terms of the number of Grand Slam titles, with all three having lifted 20 trophies.

Nadal moved ahead momentarily after winning a 22nd Slam at the 2022 French Open, but Djokovic has since taken the lead with 24 titles to his name. Three of those crowns came last year, with thenSerb winning the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. He had lost in the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz for his only loss on the big stage.

Back at Wimbledon with no titles since, Novak Djokovic will be hungry for success. A 25th Grand Slam victory would extend his lead over Nadal by three and over Federer by five.