As we've been kind of saying for years, that for Roger it depends on the draw, it starts to be the same for Rafa, off-clay. And I daresay it will be the same for Novak, sooner rather than later.
One can never question Moxie's capacity for stubbornness or refusal to accept empirical reality in favor of a predetermined narrative. It truly boggles the mind.
As I said numerous times last year, there is absolutely nothing on the horizon that should severely concern Djokovic as far as a particular match-up that would get in his way of winning Slams for the next 5+ years. At the end of last year, after Shanghai, Moxie tried to say that the player for Djokovic to be worried about was Tsitsipas. What happened immediately after that? Djokovic trounced Tsitsipas in straight sets in Paris and then Tsitsipas flamed out early at the Australian Open in the 3rd round to Raonic of all people.
And this was Moxie's big bad scary threat to Djokovic? Are you kidding me?
There are two requirements a player has to meet to be a threat to Djokovic in Slams:
1) Not just be a tough match-up (a la Batista-Agut) H2H for Djokovic but someone who is a favorite more often than not against him, because winning in the Slams against Djokovic is even tougher than elsewhere, and
2) Someone who can be trusted to consistently get to the quarters or better of all the Slams.
Now who even remotely comes close to meeting these two requirements? Perhaps Thiem, but he is far from being a favorite against Djokovic anywhere but clay.
If Rafa can stay focused and healthy, no reason he can't pass Roger.
Yes, there is: Djokovic not having his head up his own ass, particularly at Roland Garros.
And it will become a big climb for Novak, if Rafa adds even one, but 2.
Here is Moxie trying to pass off her wishful thinking and hopes as analysis. She doesn't want Djokovic to have the most Slams because she can't stand his temperament, so naturally her analysis is that he probably won't get the most Slams.
As for the substance of what she is saying, it is, yet again, terribly off-base. Djokovic is fully fit and healthy. He just won the Australian Open by cruising through the first 6 rounds and then winning a 5-set final. He is in peak condition and is the world number one. Yet somehow Moxie is talking about age. It is beyond preposterous.
Rafa's chances of passing Roger are good. Novak's chances of passing both, if that happens, becomes daunting.
Well, of course. You don't want this to happen so naturally you are going to say it's "daunting." The bad news for you is that there is no reason Djokovic cannot be winning Slams for the next 5 years. He is in excellent condition and there are no youthful challengers for him to have severe worries about, especially not in the Slams.
