“He becomes an animal,” Mats Wilander hails Novak Djokovic as the perfect example of a champion player as he continues to break records

Djokovic recently became part of one of the longest late-night Grand Slam matches while beating Lorenzo Musetti.

“He becomes an animal,” Mats Wilander hails Novak Djokovic as the perfect example of a champion player as he continues to break records

Novak Djokovic and Mats Wilander (Via Imago)

Novak Djokovic has had a quiet season this 2024. Admitted by himself, he isn’t able to find the right motivation and as a result has struggled with the wins, raising many eyebrows at his longevity in tennis. However, at the French Open, he seems to have turned around the season and is on the path of finding the right momentum.

Having started the tournament great, Djokovic also played one of the most intense late-night games against Lorenzo Musetti this Saturday to officially announce his return at the grandest of stages. Backing some good tennis, the Serbian managed to fight back and even delivered a bagel set in the fifth.

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He beat the Italian 7-5, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 and made his way to the fourth round of the French Open. After the late-night comeback, he received much praise for his recent form from Swedish former World No. 1 Mats Wilander.

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The guy is not a human being. He becomes an animal on the best courts in the world; such a perfect example of what great champions are able to do even when things are not going their way the whole time.
Mats Wilander said on Eurosport

He also mentioned that Djokovic loves to break records even if he doesn’t consider them as a main priority. The win against Musetti saw Djokovic set the record for the longest match played in a late-night match and also equaled Roger Federer for the most number of Grand Slam wins (369).

Novak Djokovic criticizes the handling of late-night matches at the French Open

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic finally had a few words to tell about the handling of late-night matches at the French Open. He was extremely disappointed by the poor scheduling of the tournament and suggested the officials could have handled it in a better manner.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via Imago)
I don't want to get into this debate. I think certain things could have been handled differently. There is a certain beauty in winning the match at three in the morning if it was the last of the tournament.
Novak Djokovic said via Roland Garros Press

That match started at 10:45 pm local time and went for 4 hours and 20 minutes, ending close to 3 am the next morning. This is the latest that any Grand Slam match has been played and is surely a concern for the players in terms of recovery. He will now have a minimal rest before a fourth-round clash against Francisco Cerundolo in another important match.

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