Novak Djokovic wants to be the best, he can do it at Australian Open
Novak Djokovic returns to Melbourne Park after a forced break of one year and he is up and running to chase his tenth Australian Open title.
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Novak Djokovic
The last few hours before the start of a Grand Slam are exciting. That is if you are away from the tennis courts. For those who have to step on the court, it’s a different feeling of pressure, stress, and a bit of anxiety. Last year, till the last few hours before stepping on the court, Novak Djokovic was dealing with courts of law.
That court and those quotes haunt him and all fans of the 36-year-old Serbian. Dark images of Novak being bundled out of Melbourne’s lonely airport will never go away. This time, there is no darkness, and there is no suspense, of the legal sorts. The only suspense is of him being eager, hungry, and wanting to be at his best.
Tennis fans have heard many quotes from Novak, a man who measures his words. Win or lose, good or bad, he is very economical with words. Why? Well, that is his persona, he lets the racket do the talking, mostly. Gunning for his 10th title at the Australian Open, a record that, he will also come at par with the Spanish legend Rafael Nadal, in terms of over titles (22).
If tennis is a game of catch-me-if-you-can, Novak and Rafa are players in it. One man is on 22 Grand Slam titles, and wanting to make it 23, that’s Rafa. Easier said than done as he is dealing with a lot of issues relating to tennis and overall fitness. The good thing is he can grind out opponents and has been doing this business for far too long.
Novak Djokovic has had a great love affair at the Rod Laver Arena
Then again, even a 70 percent fit Rafa like a 70 percent fit Pete Sampras can win a Grand Slam title. At the other end of the draw, Novak is hungry. He makes a meal of it at the AO. He almost owns the Rod Laver arena, something which retired Roger Federer used to talk about, wanting to chew the grass at Wimbledon. Well, Novak on the hard courts of Melbourne cannot do the same thing. The rubbery surface cannot be tasted with a bite or the tongue. He can taste success on it.
That is perhaps the reason on Saturday why Novak Djokovic spoke emphatically. “That’s why I keep on playing professional tennis, competition tennis, because I want to be the best, I want to win the biggest tournaments in the world,” Djokovic said. “There is no secret about it. It doesn’t get bigger than this. You have four (Grand) Slams that historically have been the biggest events in our sport. It’s also one of the biggest reasons why I was really looking forward to come back to Australia, because of my record here,” said Novak.
Surely, this man is not hungry, he is craving for the 10th title at the AO. “I really love playing in Rod Laver Arena, particularly night sessions. I’ve had plenty of success that hopefully can continue this year,” added Novak. The Serbian is in great shape, physically and mentally. He has got a rousing welcome Down Under and that should keep him going. He does not mind it where he is in the draw, the business stretches for two weeks.
Coming from a cold country, he melts into the Australian summer effortlessly. How he does it because of the lofty standards he set for himself in training. A bit like Rocky Balboa! Not an inch of flab on his body. Mentally, he is a tough cookie and backs it with enormous strength. He derives it from his own methods, though some say he believes in Lord Krishna.
He is vegan, which means his diet has changed massively in the last few years. In the good old days, people laughed when Martina Navratilova said she has a diet which is made by the computer! Novak has a team with him, from coach to physio and many more. His personal entourage at the AO keeps him in great shape. Last but not the least. Novak and Rafa bring the best out of each other.
Will it go that far, as per the script? That’s the billion-dollar question that will be answered over the next fortnight as the two combatants come out firing from the trenches Down Under.
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