‘With history on the line, excitement and pressure grows, but it’s an honor to be in this situation,’ says Novak Djokovic ahead of his Calendar Slam expectation
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Novak Djokovic
World No.1 Novak Djokovic is already into the fourth round of the 2021 US Open. The Serbian tennis player who is seeking rare feat of winning the Calendar Slam for the year is only four more steps from realising the dream.
Djokovic is looking to become the first man since Rod Laver (1969) in the Open Era to win all four Slams in one year. Although he has previously won the ‘’Nole Slam” (2015-16), he is yet to win all four in a Calendar year.
With closing distance from creating history, it is understandable that the 34-year-old is going to be dealing with enormous pressure in New York. Talking at length to ESPN, Djokovic explained how he deals with the pressure and expectations.
“Pressure, we all have it, but top guys, especially for me here with pressure on the line. Pressure is huge but at the same time I thrive on that. I like that because there’s a sign ‘Pressure is a privilege’ — a quote by Billie Jean [King] — and I truly believe and I live by that. So it’s an honor to be in this situation.”
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has also been heckled by the spectators at the Arthur Ashe stadium, during his first three rounds. Although Djokovic showed his displeasure and angst at the detractors, he was quick to point out that the best way to deal with such situations was to turn focus on the goal at hand.
“It’s important to bounce back very quickly, not to allow this distraction to last for a long time because tennis is a game of nuances,” he said. “Very few details and moments can decide a winner.”
In the past, tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams have also been on the cusp on achieving the Calendar Slam. Unfortunately, they faltered at the final stage.
Djokovic aware of history
Having a keenness for history, the top seed at the US Open also shared his views on how demanding the end objective can get. However, he was quick to state that experiences from the past will help him deal with the challenges ahead.
“It’s important to know the history as a tennis player because they’ve built the foundation that we are standing on today,” Djokovic said. “Being only in the conversation with Rod Laver, with Martina, with Serena, with Billie Jean, the all-time greats of our sports is really an honor for me. I try to draw strength and motivation from that…”
“Of course with history on the line, the excitement grows, the pressure grows, but experience and understanding of what I have to do on a daily basis in order to reach the goal allows me to still be in the tournament.”
Djokovic has won the US Open on three separate occasions, and will have a realistic chance to even surpass his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael in terms of all-time Grand Slams won, if he can conquer New York for the fourth time this week.
Also read: Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest US Open quarterfinalist in the Open Era
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Vivek Krishnan
(767 Articles Published)