Novak Djokovic has revealed his childhood dreams on several occasions. As a 7 year old bovah, he wanted to win the Wimbledon title.
Little did the little boy know that he would achieve so much more.
When the Serbian tennis player finally started his professional career, Pete Sampras’ men’s singles record of 14 Grand Slam titles was getting bigger. The tennis player’s main rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, are even getting bigger.
After winning the fourth US Open title of his career by beating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, the Serbian tennis player now has 24 Grand Slam titles and does not show that he will slow down.
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The 36-year-old tennis player has won 12 Grand Slam titles since turning 30 and has won seven of them in the last ten Grand Slams he has played. For someone who once thought that winning a Wimbledon title was a lofty goal, why limit what he could achieve?
One of the failures in recent seasons occurred in the US Open final two seasons ago against Medvedev, the same player he beat in the US Open final this season. Trying to become the first man since Rod Lavers in 1969 to win all four Grand Slams in the same season, he lost in straight sets after playing far from his best.
“I really did my best in the last 48 hours not to let important moments and what was at stake get to my mind, because two seasons ago that’s what happened and I played below my standards. “I wasn’t able to play my best game and I lost,” explained Novak Djokovic.
“So, I learned my lesson. My team, my family knows that in the last 24 hours, don’t touch me, don’t talk to me about the history of what’s at stake.”
“I really did my best to keep things simple and stuck with the routine that got me to where I am and treated the match really like any other match where I just had to win.”
The Serbian tennis player also did this. The match was fiercer than the final score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. Medvedev’s strategy appeared to be working in the third set as the champion began to show signs of fatigue.
“I don’t think I’ve ever played a longer set than that in my life, especially not on this occasion against a top player in the world like Daniil,” admitted Djokovic.
“I thought he was probably the better player in the second set. He deserved to win that set more than I did. With some luck, I was able to turn things around in the tiebreak round. At a crucial moment, I was able to place one more ball than Daniil. And that’s enough.”
“To be honest, in the second set I felt like I was running out of air on many occasions, the same with my legs. I don’t remember ever feeling so tired after rallies like I did in the second set.”
He has come so close – dropping five sets in this season’s Wimbledon final – to winning all four Grand Slams of the 2023 season.
“It’s a moment and a kind of emotion that motivates me with every day that I’m not playing tournaments. Sometimes I ask myself, ‘Why do I still need this at this stage of my career after all I have done? How long do I want to keep going?’,” added Novak Djokovic.
“I had such questions in my mind. But knowing that I’m still playing at a high level and I’m winning the biggest tournaments in this sport, I don’t want to throw this sport away or leave this sport if I’m still at the top, if I’m still playing the way I’m playing right now.”
“Eventually, one day I will leave tennis after like 23, 24 seasons. And there will be new young tennis players emerging (while smiling). Until then, I think you’ll all be seeing me for a little longer.”
