A seemingly invincible Novak Djokovic taking part in a few of the finest tennis of his profession at 36 heads to Wimbledon searching for to tighten his stranglehold on the boys’s sport and its subsequent technology by successful a record-extending twenty fourth grand slam crown.
The Serbian scaled the summit by claiming his twenty third main on the French Open earlier this month, staving off youthful rivals together with the ailing Carlos Alcaraz within the semi-finals and Casper Ruud within the title conflict.
Djokovic, who leapfrogged the injured Rafael Nadal within the all-time males’s majors listing, has gained 11 of his 13 grand slam finals after turning 30 and the defending Wimbledon champion is in no temper to decelerate on the largest stage.
“Of course, the journey is still not over,” Djokovic mentioned after his Paris success. “I feel if I’m winning grand slams why even think about ending the career that already has been going on for 20 years.
“So I nonetheless really feel motivated, nonetheless really feel impressed to play the very best tennis in these tournaments essentially the most – grand slams. Those are those that depend I assume essentially the most within the historical past of our sport. I look ahead already to Wimbledon.”
With Nadal out for the rest of the year, last year’s runner-up Nick Kyrgios battling for fitness and world No.1 Alcaraz inexperienced on grass despite his Queen’s Club success, few will look past Djokovic as favourite to lift the trophy.
The Serbian’s only limitation could be a lack of practice in another stop-start season, with the exhibition tournament at Hurlingham his only tune-up for the year’s third slam.
Djokovic has triumphed at the All England Club in the last four editions, excluding 2020 when the grasscourt grand slam was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has a chance to now equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight Wimbledon titles.
The Australian Open champion can also take another big step towards completing a calendar grand slam – winning all four majors in a year – having fallen short in 2021 after losing the US Open final to Daniil Medvedev.
Those achievements could further cement Djokovic’s status as the GOAT – Greatest Of All Time – in the eyes of his fans, pundits and many former players.
His former coach Boris Becker, however, has no doubt the ageless Serbian is already in a league of his own.
“Every technology had its stars. It could be unfair to now say one is best than the opposite. But in any case, he is essentially the most profitable,” triple Wimbledon champion Becker said.
“That willpower, ambition, ardour. What we’ve seen ultimately, how simply he beats the blokes. The younger guys are drained, not the 36-year-old.
“That’s extraordinary … 23 grand slams in an era where we had Federer, Nadal not to mention Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka. No one would have expected this from him, except himself.
“He spoke about this dream he had as a boy. I consider that dream is much from being dreamt to its finish.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
