David Goffin has no doubt. Despite what official papers say, Novak Djokovic is the world’s leading player in the Belgian’s opinion. Djokovic wrapped up the year ranked 5th after missing 2000 points at Wimbledon, two Majors and four Masters 1000 events!
The Serb experienced a ten-day saga in Australia in January and stole the headlines of the world’s media. Novak returned from Melbourne and kicked off the season in Dubai and Monte Carlo. The results were not there due to the lack of form and matches.
Novak lost the Belgrade final to Andrey Rublev after losing steam in the decider before raising his level in May. Djokovic lost a thriller to Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid and conquered his 38th Masters 1000 trophy in Rome to gain a boost ahead of Roland Garros.
The Serb dropped an epic clash against Rafael Nadal in over four hours in the quarter-final, losing the crown and turning his focus to Wimbledon.
David Goffin praised Novak Djokovic as the world’s best player.
Novak claimed his seventh Wimbledon crown and the 21st Major title following a win over Nick Kyrgios, lifting the trophy but missing 2000 points on his tally.
Thus, he stayed outside the top-5 despite and lost a chance to fight for the ATP throne. Novak could not play Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open due to his vaccination status, missing a chance to win more titles. Djokovic lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Laver Cup before embracing an indoor winning streak.
Novak’s third ATP title in 2022 came in Tel Aviv over Marin Cilic. A week later, the Serb conquered the ATP 500 event in Astana after beating Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Novak was the favorite at the Paris Masters, seeking his seventh crown in the French capital.
Djokovic advanced to his 56th Masters 1000 final and faced the young gun Holger Rune in a battle for the trophy. The Dane ousted the Serb 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in over two and a half hours to secure his first Masters 1000 title and end Novak’s streak of 13 straight wins.
Djokovic missed his opportunities in sets two and three and experienced a late break in the decider to finish runner-up. Novak was a player to beat at the ATP Finals in Turin, seeking the record-equaling sixth title at the premium ATP event.
The Serb delivered five top-10 triumphs to wrap up the season in style and lift his 91st ATP trophy, moving one behind Rafael Nadal. Djokovic should be the favorite at the upcoming Australian Open, seeking his tenth crown at Melbourne Park.
“Novak Djokovic is the world’s best player, although it’s not the case on paper. Novak can not win every tournament. There are always surprises, as against Rune in Paris, but Novak did not lose too many matches this year,” David Goffin said.
