Djokovic joins Serena as SI Sportsman of the Year candidate

The likes of Andy Roddick, Jon Wertheim and more are saluting Serena Williams' status as a Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year candidate. The truth is, Novak Djokovic has carved out one of the all-time best seasons in men's tennis—and in a remarkable era including two other titans in Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Would the Djoker have laughed to the finish line this season with a 100-percent healthy and confident Rafa coming at him? The world will never know.

Here's the SI tennis gang talking Novak and Serena versus the field in its "Sportsperson" conversation. Yes, Djokovic earned an 82-6 record over the course of a season that, for him, brimmed with both match play and tournament titles. The Serbian star, six years Serena's junior, continues to do battle against his peers, who are well aware of his feats this season.

Meanwhile, it's rather damning to the WTA Tour's field that, at one point this year, Serena had opened up more of a points lead over then-No. 2 Maria Sharapova than that Sharapova enjoyed over the tour player ranked ... No. 1,000. She finished her season, if a bit abruptly, with a 53-3 mark.

Understandably, Caroline Wozniacki remains firmly in the camp of her friend Serena, extolling the virtues of her results. The Dane has even taken to defending her pal's season in the presence of Serena and the media at the same time.

In the end, those who take issue with who Serena faces week in, week out, must admit that she simply stares down whoever stands before her. As SI's S.L. Price rightly notes, Serena's season was both "dominant and fragile." She finds a will to win or an escape route, a trap door, with remarkable frequency. Djokovic either doesn't quite have that talent or doesn't often need it.

In the end, American Pharoah, a racing horse, may be the SI "Sportsperson" winner. If that's the case, as Wertheim rightly notes, "The acceptance speech will be lacking." You can watch SI.com on December 14 to see who does seize this particular title. As the SI team notes for tennis, if not now, when? Djokovic and Williams have each delivered a season for the ages.

Racquet clap to @JoseGut19 for relaying the Wozniacki links.

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