By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday August 25, 2024
Not since Roger Federer received his fifth and last US Open title in 2008 has a participant efficiently defended the boys’s singles title on the US Open.
4-time champion Novak Djokovic is hoping to vary all that.
Forward of his first-round matchup with Moldova’s Radu Albot (Monday evening on Arthur Ashe Stadium), 2024 Olympic gold medalist Djokovic instructed the press that he’s nonetheless hungry for extra success on the Grand Slams.
“Hopefully that adjustments this 12 months,” he mentioned when instructed that no man has defended the US Open title within the final 15 years. “I imply, that is the aim. The aim is all the time for me to attempt to go all the way in which to the finals and combat for the trophy. That is form of mindset or strategy is not any completely different for me this 12 months.”
Even at 37, No.2-seeded Djokovic says the fireplace to compete on the elite degree nonetheless burns inside him.
“Folks would ask me now that you’ve principally received all the things with the gold medal, what else is there to win?” he mentioned. “I nonetheless really feel the drive. I nonetheless have the aggressive spirit. I nonetheless need to make extra historical past and revel in myself on the tour. I nonetheless hope to encourage many younger folks to observe tennis, play tennis – These are a number of the the reason why I nonetheless carry on going.”
Djokovic says that making an attempt to maintain tempo along with his youthful rivals can be extraordinarily motivating for him. He credit younger weapons Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for protecting him impressed to carry out at his peak degree.
“These form of rivalries that I’ve with Jannik and Carlos, particularly, in fact, together with different guys from the era earlier than, like, Zverev, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, you understand, are the form of matchups that also carry that pleasure of competitors to me and encourage me to actually, on a weekly foundation once I’m not competing, push myself to good the sport and to present myself a capability to have the ability to run for hours with them on the most important stage,” he mentioned. “In fact, there’s a huge age distinction, however, you understand, that is nonetheless not, I assume, affecting me in an enormous means.”
Olympic Gold His Best Second
Djokovic has executed so many breathtaking triumphs in his profession, one would assume he would have a troublesome time deciding which one was his most transferring efficiency. The Serbian legend says no query: it’s successful gold on the Paris Video games this summer season.
“I had some heartbreaking losses on the Olympic Video games, labored very exhausting to attempt to get myself able to combat for gold,” he defined. “And at 37 I assumed: may this be the final likelihood? Possibly. So I needed to push greater than I’ve ever finished.”
Djokovic mentioned that the Olympics turned out to be a dream come true, and added that he by no means felt such robust feelings on a tennis court docket.
“Turned out to be probably the greatest performances I had in years general all through your complete match,” he mentioned. “In fact within the finals towards Carlos, it was form of a dream situation actually having my spouse and kids there, your complete nation watching. Only a very proud second of experiencing the gold medal, you understand, round my neck with the Serbian anthem and Serbian flag. Very, very particular. Most likely essentially the most intense feelings I’ve ever had on a tennis court docket.
“I used to be saying that carrying the flag, being a flag bearer for my nation, opening Video games in 2012 in London on the Olympic Video games, was the very best feeling I had general in my skilled profession, surpassed each Slam that I received, till I received the gold medal. I feel the second of once I achieved it, how I achieved it, after years of making an attempt, the journey, that was the way in which it was, I feel makes it much more distinctive.”