Pam Shriver thinks Novak Djokovic needs ‘something to push him’ as the Serb ‘lost’ his ‘giant aura’

Former women's doubles No.1 Pam Shriver feels Novak Djokovic needs the hunger to achieve more great things in his career.

Pam Shriver thinks Novak Djokovic needs ‘something to push him’ as the Serb ‘lost’ his ‘giant aura’

Novak Djokovic, Pam Shriver (Images via X, The Guardian)

Novak Djokovic has been unsuccessful on the ATP Tour, with the gold medal at the Paris Olympics being his only title of the season. After a stunning campaign in 2023, Djokovic was expected to create more records this year, but he failed to win a single Grand Slam trophy. Former doubles No. 1 Pam Shriver thinks Djokovic needs the hunger to achieve more in his career. 

Apart from his appearance at the Wimbledon final, Djokovic made it to the Australian Open semifinals and French Open quarterfinals, from which he withdrew due to a knee injury. At the US Open as well, all Djokovic could do was advance to the third round where Alexei Popyrin defeated him in four sets. 

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Shriver, who has won 21 women’s Grand Slam doubles titles, feels Djokovic has “lost a little bit of that giant aura,” implying that players no longer fear him like they used to. The 62-year-old American referenced Djokovic’s Olympic campaign, saying he needs a big goal that will push him to perform to his full potential. 

He didn’t play in Canada or Cincinnati and didn’t play in a warm-up tournament. I don’t think he has been able to reset and establish his next big goal. If it is to get to 25 singles in the majors, he’s got to have something to push him.
Pam Shriver said on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast

Frances Tiafoe told Novak Djokovic to stay in Serbia instead of playing the US Open 

Novak Djokovic‘s biggest goal of this year was winning the Olympic gold medal and after his US Open exit, he laid bare his emotions, admitting that winning the elusive medal was “emotionally draining“. He even revealed that had the US Open been another tournament, he wouldn’t have played it.

Novak Djokovic (2)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X)

Frances Tiafoe, who knocked out Alexei Popyrin in the fourth round, said that if he won the gold medal for the first time, he would have been partying instead of coming to Flushing Meadows. 

If I did what he did after a gold medal, I'd just be in Serbia, chilling, drinking like crazy.
Frances Tiafoe said at the press conference 

Tiafoe will play Grigor Dimitrov next on September 3. Djokovic on the other hand, is reportedly set to play for Serbia at the Davis Cup. He has confirmed his participation in the Shanghai Masters, which is scheduled to start on October 2. 

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