“It’s going to be hard”, Patrick Mouratoglou analyzes the chances of Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open 2023
French coach Patrick Mouratoglou has his say about Novak Djokovic's return to Australia after the deportation saga last year.
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Patrick Mouratoglou and Novak Djokovic
French coach Patrick Mouratoglou has his say on Novak Djokovic‘s return to Australia. He opined that the emotional side of his Australian return will be so crucial in deciding his chances there. The deportation saga that resulted in the nine times champion missing the chance to play in the tournament last year was a dark phase for the Serbian. Mouratoglou pointed out this and how it will be affecting the Serbian’s performance this year.
The former coach of Serena Williams quoted, “It’s going to be tough for Novak in Australia, that’s for sure. He (is) going to carry big emotional baggage. He’s been through so much, emotionally speaking. Nobody is immune. It’s going to be hard. I hope he doesn’t fall apart like he did at the US Open 2021 because there was too much. But it comes after probably a period where he has had a lot of rest.“
He also pointed out the differences Djokovic will have compared to the emotional toll he had while playing US Open in 2020, “It’s the pre-season, it’s the off-season and there’s no stress of competition. So he’s going to be emotionally rested, which is good. And then he won’t start directly with the Australian Open, so he’ll have time to get used to the atmosphere there.”
Continuing the train of thought, Mouratoglou also touched upon how the Australian audience is expected to welcome Serbian World No.5, “I hope the Australians give him a nice welcome because in my opinion, everything that’s been said about him is so undeserved. I would like them to have respect for the champions.
When you go into a tennis stadium and you see Djokovic playing, the least you can do is to respect these great champions, whether you like them or not, whether you agree with them or not. I think that’s the minimum.” (Source: Eurosport)
Also Read: “It wasn’t fair to him”, Marin Cilic sympathizes with Novak Djokovic’s “disastrous” deportation saga last year
Novak Djokovic started off his proceedings in Australia with a win
21-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic won his 30th consecutive match in Australia after he beat Constant Lestienne 6-3,6-2 in his opening Adelaide International match. It was the first victory of the Serbian in Australia in his first match played here after 2020. Novak Djokovic who had a great end to the 2022 season will look forward to carrying his form in Australia.
Including the triumph in Wimbledon, Djokovic jointly owns the record for the most ATP titles won with Carlos Alcaraz in 2022(5). With the ATP finals title, Djokovic became the first player since Roger Federer in 2010 to win at least one title each of each level in the same calendar season. The Serbian won 5 titles this season: 1 ATP250,1 ATP500,1 ATP1000, 1 ATP Finals, and 1 Grand Slam.
Djokovic also increases the ‘Big Titles’ count to 65 in 2022- the highest ever in history. The closest competitor is Rafael Nadal with 59. (For the uninitiated, ‘Big titles’ include the titles won in Grand Slam championships, ATP Finals, ATP Masters 1000 tournament, and an Olympic singles gold medal)
By ending 2022 as number 5 in the rankings, Novak Djokovic has finished inside Top-5 for the 15th year (1 behind All-time record held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 16 Top-5 year finishes). With a bunch of records broken despite not playing a number of tournaments this year, a rejuvenated Djokovic will try to break more in 2023.
Also Read: Roger Federer declines Tennis Australia’s special invite to attend the 2023 Australian Open
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Vipul Payattuparambil
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