TENNIS
Djokovic targets calendar slam after winning the French Open
The Serb maestro made history by lifting his 23 Grand Slam tournament trophy in Paris, but ‘Nole’ wants to keep making history.
Novak Djokovic did it again. He hadn’t had his best clay season so far, being eliminated by Lorenzo Musetti in Monte Carlo, by Dusan Lajovic in Banja Luka, and by Holger Rune in Rome. But he played his best tennis when most mattered, at the French Open.
Besides those unexpected defeats, the 36-year-old also had to deal with an elbow injury that kept him out of the courts for some weeks, which didn’t help him prepare for the second major of the calendar in the best way for his least favorite surface.
Despite all these mishaps, Djokovic didn’t lose his confidence and sent a warning message right after losing to Rune at the Italian Open when asked by a journalist how he fancied his chances at Roland Garros. He stated he felt ready for the tournament and three weeks later, he has his 23 major on his resume, overtaking Rafa Nadal as the player with the most Grand Slam tournaments won ever in the men’s category.
‘Nole’ wants more
The tennis living legend proved against Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals and against Casper Ruud in the final that he still has plenty left in the tank before he retires.
After lifting the trophy at the Australian Open and now at the French Open, Djokovic, who’s again the world No. 1, wants to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the Calendar Slam, which means going all the way in the two remaining majors of the season, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Nole hasn’t forgotten his 2021 when he won all the Grand Slam tournaments but the US Open, being defeated in the final by Daniil Medvedev.
“I’d like to get another chance in New York. Of course, I have to win Wimbledon, which is a whole different mountain to climb”, he said to Tennis Channel.
“The fact that I won the last four Wimbledons gives me a lot of confidence and I look forward to that. I really do. I love playing there, that’s the dream tournament, always has been for me”.
“If that happens, I’d love to get a chance to go for history in New York. I missed the history couple [of] years ago in the last match, with Medvedev. But I felt the love from New Yorkers, from all the people who were there”, he added.
If Djokovic manages to emerge victorious in Wimbledon, he will add another impressive feat to his career, as he will equal Roger Federer’s record of eight titles at the All-England Club.