Drama for Djokovic, the “old” Nole even in Paris will have to deal with the brightest talents of the new generation.
The dispute over who is the best tennis player of all time will probably never see a winner, but in terms of major titles there is no one – neither today nor in the past – who can hold a candle to him. Who are we talking about? Why, of course, Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Slam champion and third on the all-time list for titles won behind Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer, who still remain within striking distance. The Belgrade native at 37 has won (almost) everything there is to win: the only title he has not yet managed to put in his personal trophy cabinet is the Olympic gold medal.
He will try again – in all likelihood for the last time – at the Paris Olympics, which kick off next Friday in the French capital, trying to bring up the colors of his Serbia. In the past Djokovic had to settle for bronze (2008), while three years ago in Tokyo his run was cut short in the semifinals against Germany’s Alexander Zverev. To arrive prepared for the event Nole has been training hard in Montenegro in recent weeks: the hope is to be 100 percent in Paris, but it will not be easy because of the aftermath of the meniscus operation he underwent immediately after Roland Garros and which still did not prevent him from being competitive at Wimbledon. Djokovic, in fact, is just back from the final played at the Championships, in which he had to surrender in only three sets to a resounding Carlos Alcaraz, champion for the second year in a row.
Drama for Djokovic, Amritraj: “Now Sinner and Alcaraz know how to beat him “
The level expressed by Djokovic, beyond injuries and muscle problems, remains very high in any case. And despite some sporadic setbacks, among the new generation of tennis players so far only Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have managed to beat him in the most important matches.
Nole will obviously also have to contend with them in the Olympic tournament starting in the next few days. According to former Indian tennis player Vijay Amritraj, the Italian and the Spaniard now “have Djokovic’s phone number.” A metaphor to explain how these two tennis players have become more aware after beating (more than once) the Serbian phenomenon. “Djokovic knows that these players are going to beat him and they are not intimidated by his aura,” Amritraj said during an interview also published by TennisWorldItalia. “They know how to win against the Serbian: Djokovic knows it, Alcaraz knows it, and Djokovic knows that Alcaraz knows it. You can also tell by looking at the body language. “