Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Novak Djokovic may be ruling the ATP this season from a statistical point of view. But there remain doubts that the world No. 1 Serb can ever achieve the utterly devoted fan base enjoyed by rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic’s ten titles in 2015 – a record six of which at the Masters 1000 level – compares with the best of the Federer domination in the middle of the previous decade. But the love of the fans is just not at the same intensity of that generated by the two older aces, whose reputations have been built over a decade or more of elite-level tennis.

Paris Masters boss Guy Forget feels it could perhaps be just a matter of time for Djokovic, slightly younger than the other pair at age 28. “Why is Roger so famous and so respected?  It’s because he’s been on the tour for 15 years,” said Forget as Djokovic won his event last weekend. “Year after year, he’s been winning tournaments, and he’s been impressing people with his game.” Forget said the Federer criteria also apply to Serena Williams, another 34-year-old ruling the WTA at the moment. ”

“Novak is in the process of writing his own history, but he’s younger. Every time we think maybe Novak is going to play not as good, and every year he shows that he plays better. Maybe for the next three or four years Novak will be able to win two, three, four grand slams per year.  So he will be at the level of Sampras, Nadal, I mean, he might even be better than them.”

Forget called Djokovic “an exceptional champion, he’s smiling, he’s nice with the ball boys.  He’s nice with everyone around his sport. You know, it is his duty as an ambassador for tennis, and he does that incredibly well.”

“Of course for the time being, those players did a bit more than he did right now, but let’s see.  When time comes, I believe he might even overcome them and be better than them in the future.”

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.