Novak Djokovic has been backed to add to his astonishing tally of Grand Slam titles by a tennis legend ahead of the US Open in New York.
Novak Djokovic is preparing for the US Open, where he is chasing his 25th Grand Slam (Image: Getty)
Novak Djokovic has been backed to add to his colossal number of Grand Slam titles in a bold 15-word prediction. The Serbian great will go in search of a 25th Grand Slam at the US Open in New York.
The 37-year-old cemented his legend with an epic victory at the recent Olympic tournament and despite an injury-hampered season, he has no intention of hanging up his racket just yet. With the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner leading an exciting new generation in the men’s game, Djokovic won’t have everything his own way.
However, tennis icon Mats Wilander is sure the veteran has several more Grand Slam successes left in the tank, declaring: “He is not done – he’s going to win one, two or even three more majors.”
Wilander, 60, believes Djokovic finally becoming an Olympic champion confirmed his status as the greatest player of all time, ahead of fellow icons Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The seven-time Grand Slam winner told Eurosport: “We can now clearly say, whether it’s a woman or a man, that the person that has won 24 majors and the Olympic gold and Davis Cup and has won the most tournaments in terms of ATP 1000 – and he’s got the best head to head against his rivalries, the big three – that he is easily the BOAT, the best player of all time.
“I was extremely excited. I was extremely surprised that he was able to do that with the pressure, compared to trying to win Wimbledon. This is his last Olympics and he manages to do it on maybe his least favourite surface in what many people would call his least favourite court, Philippe Chatrier.
“This will give him that energy to keep going and keep fighting because he loves the challenge that the younger players are posing to him, and he’s starting to turn the fans around in a very, very interesting and healthy way where people, me included, want to see him pushed by these two young guys, Sinner and Alcaraz
However, Wilander says Djokovic, who unusually has not taken part in a hard court warm-up tournament, must guard against slip-ups in the first week. The Swede added: “He knows that he is good enough, but he also knows that he has to be careful even though it’s on his favourite surface.
“Literally everyone is a hard court specialist. So I think he can play himself into great shape heading into the second week. But he has to be careful.
“He really has to be careful. A lot of players, they’re loving the chance of getting to play Novak Djokovic early in a Grand Slam tournament, still at 37 years old.”