Novak Djokovic has more than 20 years of experience when it comes to playing on the ATP Tour. So, who does he think is the most underrated player he has ever faced?
The Serbian has plenty of options to pick from after playing almost 1400 matches since making his Tour debut at the 2004 Umag Open. During his career, he has played in 143 finals, winning a total of 100 titles with 24 of those being at a Grand Slam. Picking just one player might be a tricky task for Djokovic, but there is one name that comes to his mind.
During an interview with atptour.com, the former world No.1 lists Stan Wawrinka as the most underrated player he has played. The duo has faced off against each other 27 times between 2006 and 2023, with Djokovic winning 21 of those encounters. However, two of Wawrinka’s victories were in the finals of the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open.
“[Stan] Wawrinka, I think he’s very underappreciated and underrated considering he is a three-time Grand Slam champion,” said Djokovic.
“I think people very often forget about him and what he has achieved. He has achieved more than 90-plus per cent of the players ever in the history of the game, so I’d probably pick him.”
Wawrinka, who will turn 41 in March, played in this week’s Hellenic Championship in Athens, where he was narrowly beaten by world No.9 Lorenzo Musetti in a three-set marathon. He is currently ranked 159th in the world but has been as high as No.3. Despite being the oldest player in the top 200, Wawrinka’s love for the sport is showing no signs of stopping.
“I think at the end the most important [thing] is loving what you do,” he said recently. “It’s enjoying the process, enjoying the road. [Being a] tennis player, it’s an amazing life. If you’re passionate about your sport, it’s so special to be able to travel the world to play tennis.”
So far in his career, Wawrinka has won 16 ATP trophies and earned more than $37.7M in prize money. Athens was the final ATP event of his 2025 season.
As for Djokovic, he has yet to confirm what his final event of the year will be after recently dismissing a comment from the president of the Italian Tennis Federation that he has committed to play in next week’s ATP Finals. In Athens, he will play Nuno Borges in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
