Novak Djokovic establishes his unwavering motivation to create history as French Open campaign for 23rd Major begins

Novak Djokovic wants to go down in the tennis history as the greatest.

Novak Djokovic establishes his unwavering motivation to create history as French Open campaign for 23rd Major begins

Novak Djokovic (Image Credit: Roland Garros)

Novak Djokovic openly acknowledged his pursuit of etching his name in the record books of tennis ahead of his campaign in the French Open 2023. In the pre-tournament press conference, Djokovic established his dominance by talking about what inspires him to excel in each tournament, especially a Grand Slam title. Djokovic said, “It’s no secret that one of the main reasons I play today and compete in professional tennis is to try to break more records and make more history in tennis.”

With Rafael Nadal out of this French Open, the Serb looks at this as an opportunity to go beyond the tied record of 22 Grand Slam titles that he shares with Nadal. If he wins this French Open, then Novak Djokovic would become the first male to win 23 Grand Slam titles in the open era. The idea to achieve that excites the Serb. He said, “History being on the line is something that is very flattering and is very motivating, no doubt about it.” The prospect of making history and having his name associated with it keeps Djokovic motivated.

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The desire to leave a lasting legacy is a common trait among elite athletes, and Novak Djokovic is no exception. The thought of surpassing the achievements of tennis legends, especially Rafael Nadal, fuels his competitive fire and compels him to push his limits on the court.

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A peak into Novak Djokovic’s record history

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image Credit: Olympics website)

His thirst for breaking records and making history is already very evident with the plethora of records he has already made. In addition to the 22 Grand Slam titles, he has the most number of Australian Open titles equaling 10. Apart from his impressive achievements in Slams, Djokovic has a record 38 ATP Masters 1000 titles. The recently turned 36-year-old has won a total of 93 ATP Tour events. He is the only man to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles at the same time, even if it was not in one calendar year.

On 27 February 2023, Djokovic recorded his 378th week as men’s singles World No. 1. This was also an all-time record, men and women, for weeks spent at the top of the rankings. The only medal that has eluded Djokovic is the Olympic gold. He has tried to win the medal for his country time and again but failed.

It would be interesting if he would be able to fulfill this aspiration for himself in the Paris Olympics in 2024. By acknowledging the importance of history being on the line, Novak Djokovic has revealed the magnitude of the challenge he embraces with each tournament.

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