Serbia’s Novak Djokovic
Picture Credit score: AFP
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has confidently declared he’ll retire having overwhelmed Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to assert probably the most Grand Slam titles in historical past. The Serb has additionally focused changing into the longest-reigning world No. 1 by the point he hangs up his racket, the 32-year-old mentioned.
Djokovic has 17 Grand Slam titles to his title — two behind Nadal and three fewer than Federer — and mentioned he has little doubt in his capacity to overhaul the opposite members of the so-called ‘Large Three.’ “I’m all the time very assured in myself,” he mentioned in an interview on In Depth with Graham Bensinger on Fox. “I consider I can win probably the most slams and break the report for longest No. 1. These are positively my clear objectives.” Djokovic was in imperious kind earlier than the novel coronavirus pandemic introduced the circuit to a halt in early March.
He lifted the ATP Cup with Serbia, received an eighth Australian Open title after which accomplished a fifth triumph on the Dubai Tennis Championships, extending his unbeaten run to 21.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are each forward of Novak Djokovic within the Grand Slam title stakes
Swiss nice Federer additionally owns the report for complete variety of weeks at No. 1, with 310, and consecutive weeks on the high place, with 237, in contrast with Djokovic’s 282 and 122.
Federer turns 39 in August and Djokovic mentioned he may envision himself nonetheless enjoying at 40.
“I don’t consider in limits. I believe limits are solely illusions of your ego or your thoughts,” he mentioned.
It wasn’t too way back that Djokovic had a completely totally different outlook on the sport.
After falling in straight units to unseeded Benoit Paire on the Miami Open in 2018, his spouse, Jelena, mentioned he was prepared to hold up the racket.
“He mentioned to me that he’s quitting and that’s the reality,” she mentioned within the interview. “He misplaced in Miami. It was a horrible loss. After which he simply, you understand, gathered all of us and mentioned, ‘ guys, I’m achieved.’” “And I used to be like, ‘What?’ And he goes like, ‘Yeah.’ He mentioned, ‘Edoardo, you possibly can communicate with my sponsors. I need to be clear with them. I don’t know if I’m stopping for six months, a 12 months or eternally.’”
Djokovic didn’t undergo together with his retirement plans and bounced again to triumph at Wimbledon that July.