Former tennis player Jill Craybas believes Serena Williams deserves to be ranked above Novak Djokovic among the greatest stars in the history of tennis.
"I think Serena could top the list of all-time greats because of her 39 Grand Slam titles," Craybas said in a recent ATP Tennis podcast. The former player, who won six WTA titles herself, believes Serena's doubles achievements set her apart from other tennis legends, including Novak Djokovic.
Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, just one behind Margaret Court's record. The American player also has 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles. She has won four Olympic gold medals and held the world No. 1 ranking for 319 weeks. If doubles titles are included, Court holds the most titles with 19 Grand Slam doubles and 21 mixed doubles titles. She also won the WTA Finals twice among a total of 192 career titles.
"When you talk about the numbers, why not add them up," Craybas expressed. "For male players like Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, they play very little doubles. Of course, they could win more Grand Slam doubles titles. When it comes to titles, Serena and Court are the best."
Djokovic is the male player with the most Grand Slam titles at 24. He is also the player who has held the world No. 1 ranking for the longest period in history, over 400 weeks. The Serbian player has a total of 98 singles titles, five behind Federer and 11 behind the record-holder Jimmy Connors.
Craybas, an American player, believes another advantage of Serena is her impact off the court. She said, "In terms of quality of play and fame, Serena is one of those who transcended tennis. Even those who don't watch tennis know Serena. She's smart, knowledgeable, and successful off the court."
Serena retired in September 2022 as the highest-earning female tennis player of all time, with $94 million in prize money. She concluded her nearly two-decade career with 73 singles titles and an estimated net worth of nearly $300 million – ranking among the top 100 richest women on the planet.