‘Novak Djokovic is a level above all at Grand Slams, but he will feel the pressure in New York,’ says Daniela Hantuchova

‘Novak Djokovic is a level above all at Grand Slams, but he will feel the pressure in New York,’ says Daniela Hantuchova

Novak Djokovic

Former WTA tennis player Daniela Hantuchova believes World No.1 Novak Djokovic will find his best form at the 2021 US Open. The Serb has been out of action after his shocking loss at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics.

Although Djokovic has landed in New York in pursuit of his Calendar Slam, he has not played any warm-up tournament in the run-up to the US Open. That said, the former Slovakian player is confident that the 20-time Grand Slam champion will find his groove soon.

“I still feel like Novak is a level above them all in the best of five matches,” Hantuchova told Tennis365. “It will be interesting to see how sharp he can be without playing any warm-up events before the US Open, but he is generally in cruise control in the first week of a major and I would expect him to try and use the first week in New York to get into top shape for the challenges in the second week.”

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The former World No.5 also opined that although Djokovic is the firm favourite to win the US Open, the next gen isn’t too far behind in chasing glory.

“The ones who I think are closest to his level are Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, with Alexander Zverev not far behind when he’s playing at his best.”

How will Djokovic handle pressure in New York?

novak djokovic
Novak Djokovic

The 38-year-old concluded by explaining that while the World No.1 will be motivated to erase the bad memories of Tokyo, the pressure of winning a Calendar Slam could put additional pressure on Djokovic in New York.

“I feel losing in Tokyo could be good for him because he is always good at reacting to a setback and everything is lined up for him to do it, but we have seen with Serena Williams that the pressure can be difficult when you are so close to something so special. He will face pressure trying to do something so special, but this is when he feels the most comfortable for me, when he has pressure.”

The 34-year-old Serb is used to winning Slams without playing any warm-up events. Given his rich history, it is tough to not place one’s bet on Djokovic creating history at the US Open in a few weeks.

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