'I'm Novak Djokovic's ex-coach – I know the best in the world out of him, Alcaraz and Sinner'

Novak Djokovic's ex-coach, , has weighed in on tennis' hierarchy and the debate surrounding who's superior between the Serb, Jannik Sinner and .

, 37, is hailed as possibly the finest male player ever, boasting 24 Grand Slam victories and a lengthy reign as number one. However, his recent downtime has seen him drop to sixth in the live ATP rankings.

, 23, is at the forefront of the rankings following his wins at the Australian Open and this year, with hot on his heels after a solid season. Yet, it's anticipated that Sinner will vie with current world No. 3 Alcaraz, 21, for supremacy in the years ahead.

Despite the impressive performances from the two rising stars in 2024, Ivanisevic insists Djokovic is still the world's top player. "When Novak really wants to play, he is still the best in the world, in my opinion," he said to .

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"The other thing is how much he wants to play and when. We saw at the Olympics – if he goes out on the court like that, then he can still win a Slam. Can Novak do it? Yes, he can. You can never write him off, I would never do that."

The former Wimbledon winner helped Djokovic claim nine of his 24 majors in their time together before deciding to part ways with the Serbian legend in March of this year. Ivanisevic has now placed Djokovic at the pinnacle of his power rankings and also made his thoughts clear on who he believes should be ranked second, reports .

He said: "They're different players, but when they are both at their best, I feel that Sinner is better [than Alcaraz]. He is more consistent throughout the match, whereas Alcaraz can go from hitting amazing shots to some easy errors. This year, Carlos had a few losses I couldn't explain."

Ivanisevic said he rates Djokovic, Sinner and Alcaraz as 'way above anyone else on Tour', with Djokovic leading the pack. This is despite the fact that Zverev has just clinched the Paris Masters title, shaking up the world rankings – however, Ivanisevic isn't entirely convinced on the German.

"Zverev has too many ups and downs," Ivanisevic said. "He plays great up until some point, then comes a match where he really needs to put it together, where he needs to perform at his best that's when he fails, and against Alcaraz and Sinner, you need to be at your best always. If we take Novak out of the picture, they [Sinner and Alcaraz] will rule."

Djokovic, however, won't be able to challenge his chief rivals this month as he's had to withdraw from the eagerly awaited ATP Finals due to an injury. Ivanisevic, meanwhile, has taken up a position to coach 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.