Stunning and Blunt Verdict: Former World No. 4 Ignites Furious Debate by Publicly Ranking Novak Djokovic Far Above Alexander Zverev—Dismisses Recent Triumphs as “Irrelevant” in Heated and Controversial Assessment, Report Has It That…
Novak Djokovic finished the season as world no. 4, wrapping up his 17th year-end top-4 season and leaving Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on 16. At 38, the Serb enjoyed a couple of great runs in 2025.
Novak reached the semi-final at all four Majors, an incredible feat at his age. He also fought for the title in Miami, reached the Shanghai semi-final and lifted two ATP titles.
Despite reducing his schedule, Djokovic still embraced a notable campaign that highlights his timeless fighting spirit and greatness. For Greg Rusedski, Novak enjoyed a better season than Alexander Zverev.
The German wrapped up the year as world no. 3. However, he claimed only one ATP title and struggled against the rivals from the top, having won only four of 15 encounters against the top-10 rivals.
Unlike Djokovic, Zverev did reach a Major final, achieving that in Australia but falling to Jannik Sinner. Alexander and Novak fought in the Roland Garros quarter-final, with the veteran sealing the deal in four sets.
The German did not like his tennis at Wimbledon and the US Open. Overall, he finished the season behind only Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which sounds great on paper.
In reality, Zverev is closer to the bottom of the ATP rankings list than the rivals in front of him, and he knows that very well. On the other hand, Novak is pleased with his run in 2025, although not completely.
For the Serb at this stage of his career, Majors are still the most powerful driving force. While reaching four semi-finals this year, he fell to Sinner and Alcaraz three times and struggled physically.
Djokovic is eager to make another push in 2026 after still dreaming of that elusive 25th Major crown. As always, he wants to challenge the rivals from the top and extend his incredible legacy over two decades after debuting on the most notable stage.
For Rusedski and many others, he remains the third-best player in the world and a contender for big trophies. After all, you should never write off a champion of his caliber, not after everything he has achieved.
“You know it’s time to retire when you are not enjoying it anymore. Novak is still the third-best player in the world, even though the rankings do not say so.
He is likely to need a bit of luck to win a Major by the end of his career because of Carlos and Jannik. However, we should never write off a great champion,” Greg Rusedski said.
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Atlanta Cup: Aryna Sabalenka beats Naomi Osaka in three sets after some fireworks
Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka clashed in an exhibition on Saturday as the world No. 1 overcame the Japanese four-time Grand Slam champion 6-3 4-6 10-4 at the Atlanta Cup.
After the ATP removed the Atlanta Open from its calendar starting this year, the organizers of the former tournament wanted to still have quality tennis in the city. So they decided to try to launch an exhibition tournament and managed to lure four big names – Sabalenka, Osaka, Nick Kyrgios and Ben Shelton.
The first on the court were Sabalenka and Osaka – two Grand Slam champions – and they didn’t disappoint.
After the Belarusian four-time Grand Slam champion and the Japanese former world No. 1 concluded their match, home player Shelton and 2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios took to the court. The American tennis star claimed a 7-6 6-3 win over the Australian.
What the Atlanta Cup organizers said about Sabalenka, Osaka, Kyrgios and Shelton?
“I want this to be a night for Atlantans in different tennis leagues to celebrate all together. I also appreciate the pros that work in this community and make a living. I am amazed by the level of coaching we have here… So many people have reached out across tennis, not just in Atlanta but around the country, with support and asking how to help,” Atlanta Cup tournament director Jason Dolan said on Tennis Channel before the start of the exhibition.
Dolan also publicly praised Sabalenka, Osaka, Kyrgios and Shelton for accepting to come to the exhibition.
“The agents were amazingly easy to work with. I wanted the right star power,” Dolan said.
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