Novak Djokovic in agreement with Patrick Mouratoglou over tennis players not considering Olympics important, clears his stance on the debate

Novak Djokovic hopes to win a medal for Serbia at the Olympic Games in 2024.

Novak Djokovic in agreement with Patrick Mouratoglou over tennis players not considering Olympics important, clears his stance on the debate

(L) Novak Djokovic, (R) Patrick Mouratoglou (Images via Tennis365/Pinterest)

The tennis world has been debating the importance of an Olympic medal win for a long time now. Former tennis coach to four-time Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams, Patrick Mouratoglou re-invoked the debate on Tuesday when he claimed that a Grand Slam win is of more importance to a tennis player than a medal at the Olympics. World No.1, Novak Djokovic has hopped in on the debate with his latest comments recently.

24-time Grand Slam winner and an Olympic medalist himself, Novak Djokovic, is one of the few players who might provide great clarity on the ever-recurring debate, having emerged victorious, in some capacity, at both events. What sparked the discussion ahead of the Paris Olympics in 2024 was a reel shared by Mouratoglou on his Instagram handle.“There is no history between tennis and Olympic games…A Grand Slam is 100 times more important for a tennis player than the Olympic Games,” he claimed in the short clip.

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In response to Mouratoglou, Djokovic recently said that he wouldn’t agree with the Frenchman completely, “The Olympic Games are the oldest sporting event. Every sport that is Olympic, values ​​the Olympic Games, at least in my opinion, as one of the highest priorities,” the Serb told the media company Sportal. He further explained how representing their country at the Olympic Games is one of the greatest honors for an athlete.

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Drawing parallels with his own experience at the Olympics, Djokovic said, “I had the great honor of carrying the flag at the opening ceremony in London, & for me the Games are a very special competition and it is a special feeling to be in such a rare competition.” The 36-year-old also said that since the Games are played once every four years, it might not be a priority for most of the tennis players.

“I agree with Patrick in that part: that the attitude of most tennis players towards the Olympics, especially those who are lower ranked, is not the same as towards the Grand Slams. I agree with that & it is true,” Djokovic said as he chimed in, agreeing with Mouratoglou in the debate. Djokovic also added that he is excited to be at the Olympic Games next year and hopes to clinch a medal at the Games for his country.

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Novak Djokovic’s ‘hunger’ for Grand Slam draws him is praised by Tommy Haas

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic has been on the tour for almost two decades now, but the hunger to win a title has not gone down one bit and that is what former German No.1 Tommy Haas is impressed with. Djokovic recently broke several records with his 24th Glam Slam victory at the US Open. The 36-year-old champ also revealed that he will be eyeing more Slam titles in the future. This mentality of Djokovic, despite being in the twilight of his career, impressed Haas, who compared the Serbian with the likes of Pete Sampras and Boris Becker.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic(Image via: Washington Times)

“People know how hard it is to get to the top of the world in this sport, especially now that good people are playing longer,” said Haas to Tennis Magazine. “Pete Sampras and Boris Becker retired at 30, but Djokovic at 36 is hungry like a teenager, that’s his mentality. When he tells stories about how he grew up during the war and dreamed of giving his family a better life… you can’t learn that, you either have it or you don’t,” the 45-year-old added.

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