Former World No. 21 John Lloyd praised Novak Djokovic for being honest on breaking the Grand Slam record compared to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Djokovic recently broke the record for most Grand Slam titles won with 23 following his win in the recently-concluded French Open earlier this month.

Afterwards, he spoke of how important it was for him to break the record after chasing his rivals in Nadal and Federer for so many years.

That’s a breath of fresh air for Lloyd compared to past comments made by Nadal and Federer stating that they were never concerned about breaking the record.

“One of the things I do love about Novak is that he has said he was chasing the [men’s Grand Slam] record and it meant a lot to him,” Lloyd said on Tennis Channel’s Inside-In podcast (via Tennis365). “Whereas, [as] much as I loved Rafa and Roger, they were saying that they weren’t really concerned about breaking the record and ‘blah blah blah.’

“And I don’t believe that for one second. I’m sorry to say that but I don’t. I think Novak is the one that’s telling the truth. Every player wants records. This is what they live for.”

Of course, Djokovic isn’t as popular or beloved as Nadal or Federer, but Lloyd believes the Serbian superstar will be greatly revered once he calls it a day.

He also praised the 36-year-old for his mental toughness for what he’s achieved after the setbacks he’s had particularly in 2017 and 2018.

“The mental side of what he’s come through in these last few years with a few problems here and there obviously,” Lloyd added. “And to come through and to break the record like he has in the men’s [game]. The hunger he has, it just seems that he just wants more and more.

“And I personally think that he’s loved by quite a few people. I don’t think he’s the most popular champion if you’re going to compare him to Rafa and Roger. But let’s be honest, it’s not easy to be as popular as those two and I think Novak knows that inside in some ways. I think he gets a bad rap.

“But I think he’s someone that, when he stops – and I hope it’s gonna be a while before that happens – he will go through a different ceiling in terms of his popularity. I think people when they look back at it, they’ll realise how great he really is. And it’s a remarkable journey he’s had.”