“Experience is on my side,” Novak Djokovic dwells on his Calendar Slam chances after storming into the French Open final after beating Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic was diplomatic when the chances of him winning the Calendar Slam were brought up in the post-match press conference
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Novak Djokovic (Image Credits: Roland Garros)
Novak Djokovic has dismissed any suggestion of winning a Calendar Slam. The Serbian legend reached the French Open final after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. The win means he has reached the final of the year’s second Grand Slam after winning the Australian Open 2023. His dominance in the ATP circuit means he can win all four majors in 2023.
When asked about his chances, Djokovic said, “Calendar Slam is very far. Not thinking about it. Just thinking about winning a second one Sunday this year. Experience is on my side. I have to recover, prepare for a long battle, and if I win on Sunday, let’s talk about it.”
Djokovic is in the thirty-fourth Grand Slam final of his career. He now has the chance to become the first player to win three titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments. If he defeats Casper Ruud in the final, he will overtake Rafael Nadal and become the player with the most Grand Slam titles to his name. Djokovic is currently level with Nadal at 22 Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic has been on fire in Paris. He entered as the third seed and was one of two favorites for the title. But Djokovic proved he’s a class above when he defeated World Number 1 Alcaraz in four sets. The Serbian has a clear path to a Calendar Slam with Rafael Nadal, the only player to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam tournament since 2021, out injured for the long term.
Novak Djokovic’s last attempt at a Calender Slam
Djokovic has been close to a Calendar Slam before. The World Number 3 was one win away from sealing it in 2021. He started the year on fire. He made it three in a row at the Australian Open after defeating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the final. Djokovic beat Alexander Zverev, Milos Raonic, and Taylor Fritz on the way.
He shocked the world at the French Open. Djokovic was through the tournament to set up a semifinal clash against the King of Clay. He stunned Rafael Nadal and defeated him convincingly in four sets. He came back brilliantly in the final from two sets down to deny Stefanos Tsitsipas a first Grand Slam title.
Djokovic then proceeded to win the 2021 Wimbledon, dropping only two sets during the whole run. When he reached the US Open final, the stage was set. He was facing Daniil Medvedev, who was out for redemption, having lost the same clash in the Australian Open earlier in the year. But Djokovic played uncharacteristically and lost in straight sets. Djokovic will hope to banish the ghosts of 2021 and win the first Calendar Slam since 1969.
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Samarth Srivastava
(139 Articles Published)