Novak Djokovic is a five-time champion at Wimbledon. And as the Serbian superstar arrives at SW19, he carries the momentum of victories at the first two majors of the year: the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
Could a calendar-year Grand Slam be in the cards for the World No. 1?
“I gave myself a good opportunity to do that, obviously winning the Australian Open and Roland Garros. But look, it’s still a very long way to get to that super achievement,” Djokovic said in Mallorca. “I will try to do it, without a doubt. I’m going to play Wimbledon now and hopefully I can get my hands on the Wimbledon trophy again.”
Plenty of history is at stake for Djokovic in London, where he is the two-time defending champion. Although the grass-court major was not held in 2020 due to COVID-19, Djokovic triumphed there most recently in 2018 and 2019. No man has won three consecutive Wimbledon titles since Roger Federer lifted five trophies in a row from 2003 through 2007.
“Hopefully I can keep that run going. I’m feeling good on grass. I think I’ve improved a lot with my game on grass over the years,” Djokovic said. “Every Grand Slam is probably like a Mount Everest to climb for a tennis player. It’s a two-week long event, 128 players, best-of-five. There are so many things happening on and off the court, so it’s a lot of pressure.
“I know how to deal with that, so I’m going to take one tournament at a time and then we’ll see.”
After lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires in Paris for the second time, Djokovic now has 19 Grand Slam titles, putting him just one behind Federer and Rafael Nadal on the all-time list. That would make a victory by the Serbian at SW19 even more historic.
“I will definitely go for the title at Wimbledon, the US Open and any other tournament and any other Slam that I play. I always have the highest ambition and expectations of myself, but I try to be in the present moment,” Djokovic said. “I know that if I do everything in the right way, if I put myself in the right state of mind — my body and soul so to say — I’m able to win against anybody on any surface.”
Djokovic’s confidence is sky-high after defeating Rafael Nadal in the Roland Garros semi-finals and rallying from two sets down to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. The World No. 1 will try to ride that momentum into Wimbledon.
“It was an unforgettable experience, probably one of the most difficult tournaments I ever had, especially the second week,” Djokovic said of his Roland Garros run. “I felt for two or three days after that quite spent. But I’m pretty happy with the way I’m feeling on the grass. It means that I’m recovering pretty quickly.
“But what was achieved and experienced in Paris was truly remarkable. I’m so blessed to [have gone] through that experience.”
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After a COVID-enforced absence last year, Wimbledon is back this fortnight with Novak Djokovic looking to win the event…
Photo Ray Giubilo