“Still them running the shows at Majors,” Goran Ivanisevic lauds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal for unparalleled consistency
"Particularly Novak’s record of most weeks at No 1" Ivanisevic claims Djokovic's recent record cannot be beaten
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The Big three are known for their innumerable world records in tennis. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have a joint record for most Grand Slam wins. Djokovic recently surpassed Steffi Graf to attain the most weeks at No.1 in the ATP rankings as well. The Spaniard has spent most weeks in the Top 10 rankings too.
Goran Ivanisevic praised the pair for their indomitable records and continuous reign over the sport, regardless of age. Despite being plagued by injuries, the duo is set to continue their career for a couple more years. He said that he cannot ‘imagine’ how their records could be beaten in the future, even though it is possible.
According to the Croatian, all three of them motivated each other to keep on fighting. Their competitiveness and evolution stemmed from pushing each other’s limits constantly. Especially Novak and Rafa have gone through many struggles to achieve the pinnacle of tennis. Ivanisevic stated, “it is astonishing what they have been able to do.”
They are still battling injuries on a daily. Djokovic had a hamstring tear during his run in Australia. Nadal, on the other hand, faced more problems with his hip injury, ruling him out of multiple tournaments. Both players have an equal number of Grand Slam wins, which is the most in ATP tennis history.
“It’s difficult to say that their records will never be broken,” Ivanisevic said skeptically, “but I really can’t imagine how that can happen” To elaborate Ivanisevic gave Djokovic’s example of most weeks at No.1. He also explained that these numbers were unimaginable in the past, further cementing the names of the Big Three in history.
Ivanisevic says Djokovic is ‘too strong’ in spite of injury
Ivanisevic recounted Djokovic’s Australian Open win this year. He claimed that many commentators as well as players have stated that Djokovic is unbeatable despite being injured. “…Novak’s shots were just too deep, that there was nothing they could have done,” said the coach, “those guys are 15 years younger than him and still can’t handle Novak when he is mentally ready.”
In addition, he is sure that Djokovic’s career will continue for a few more years, as long as the Serb desires. His penchant for ‘meticulously’ taking care of his body makes it so. Novak’s form in Melbourne even shocked Ivanisevic, “I mean, he won seven matches in Melbourne with half a leg, playing the way he played. His tennis keeps getting better and this is not just my opinion as his coach.“
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Tanisha Mohanty
(172 Articles Published)