London (AFP) - Novak Djokovic launched his career in the shadow of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal but has surpassed them both and is widely considered the greatest player of all time.

The Serb, aged 37, has won 24 Grand Slam titles, equalling Margaret Court’s record tally – two more than Nadal and four clear of Federer with both rivals now retired.

He also has a stack of other records in men’s tennis including a record 40 Masters-level titles, seven season-ending ATP Finals crowns and most weeks at number one – a staggering 428.

He led Serbia to Davis Cup glory in 2010.

And on the red clay of Paris in August 2024 he completed a career Golden Grand Slam by beating Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic final, shaking with emotion as he fell to his knees, describing victory as his “greatest achievement”.

It was his 99th title, putting him four behind Federer’s total of 103 and 10 behind Jimmy Connors’ record of 109.

Djokovic did not launch his career in a vacuum – he started out at a time when Federer and Nadal ruled the sport, with fans firmly in one camp or the other.

When the Serb won his first Grand Slam, at the Australian Open in 2008, Federer was already on 12 majors and Nadal had taken virtual ownership of the French Open.

Djokovic did not win another major until 2011 and was voracious in his appetite until this year when he failed to add to his Grand Slam tally, overshadowed by the success of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who shared the four majors between them.

In an effort to stem the relative decline, on Saturday he hired old rival Andy Murray to help coach him at next year’s Australian Open where he is a 10-time champion.

He has made no secret of his aim to be the greatest of all and few would now argue that he has not achieved it, with winning records against both of his rivals in the “Big Three” of men’s tennis.

Despite his astonishing achievements, while the retired Nadal and Federer are adored across the world, Djokovic, even now, sharply divides opinion.

He famously had to battle Federer and a pro-Swiss crowd in the 2019 Wimbledon final, which he won after saving match points.

Djokovic is not afraid to go toe to toe with hostile fans, using their jibes to fuel his relentless quest for glory and showing the depth of his competitiveness.

But off the court he cuts an impressive figure – urbane and thoughtful, and able to speak fluently in a number of languages.

An exasperated John McEnroe expressed his frustration at the way that Djokovic is sometimes treated during the 2024 Wimbledon tournament, where he lost in the final to Alcaraz.

“He’s like the Darth Vader compared to two of the classiest acts we’ve seen play tennis – Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer,” he said.

- ‘Greatest’ -

The American three-time Wimbledon champion added: “He’s by far the guy who’s taken the worst heat and that’s why I would say he’s the greatest that’s ever played.”

Djokovic has been content to plough his own furrow and has shown an astonishing ability to shut out the noise and battle against the odds.

He grew up in war-torn Serbia and has spoken about how his turbulent childhood made him hungrier for success.

Djokovic made his ATP Tour debut in 2004, winning his first title two years later in the Netherlands.

He started to win tournaments regularly but struggled to make an impact at the Grand Slams after his 2008 triumph in Australia.

Djokovic dropped gluten early in his career, crediting the change with transforming his results.

The lithe physique of the rubber man of tennis enabled him to chase down seemingly lost causes and he combined a brutally efficient game with a rock-solid defence.

Half of his 24 Grand Slams have come after he turned 30 – testament to how he has looked after himself.

In 2016 he became the third man in history to hold all four majors at the same time.

But agonisingly he fell at the last hurdle in 2021 as he attempted to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a calendar Grand Slam.

Despite his extraordinary success, some personal stances have drawn criticism, such as a claim that it was possible to alter the composition of water and food through positive thinking.

His refusal to be vaccinated against Covid proved costly – he was deported from Melbourne on the eve of the 2022 Australian Open.

And Djokovic’s tennis has sometimes been overshadowed by controversies.

His infamous default from the US Open in 2020 for petulantly swiping at a ball that hit a female line judge gave a glimpse of his fiery character.

At the 2023 French Open, he wrote “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia” on a courtside TV camera lens as ethnic tensions were again rising in the Balkans.