Djokovic leaves the G.O.A.T. debate to the others, hopes to recover well before upcoming Slams & Olympics

By conquering Roland-Garros, Novak Djokovic became the first player to win all the four Slams at least two times each in the Open Era. He was asked whether that could be one of the deciding factors in the discussion about the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) in tennis history.

“I understand that the people enjoy the G.O.A.T. debate and that they want to get something out of us on that topic,” Djokovic told Serbian journalists, “I do not know what Rafa (Nadal) and Roger (Federer) answer, but I do not want to speculate too much about what are the deciding factors and what are not. I leave that to others, to tennis experts and analysts, fans as well. For me, winning Slams represents a huge satisfaction and motivation, those are the biggest tournaments.”

Still, Djokovic is aware of his accomplishments and does not want to stop any time soon.

“Writing history in the tennis books has always inspired me and pushed me forward. It is phenomenal what I have been able to do, to win all Slams and Masters tournaments at least twice. It is a fact that makes me very happy, but I do not feel that I should give my take on the debate: I am still active and I am still creating my own authentic path. I will keep on striving to win Slams, because that is something that probably counts the most, along with the historic No 1 record.”

Winning Paris for the second time for his 19th Grand Slam title overall, after beating Nadal in the semi-final and Tsitsipas in the final, was a very emotional experience for Djokovic. Nevertheless, he does not let his mind wander too much as Wimbledon is right around the corner.

“To be honest, I do not think about my childhood and upbringing a lot in these moments. Those memories come when I am in Serbia, when I visit the places where I grew up. Also, the memories become vivid when I speak to my family, of course“, Djokovic said before adding, “On the other hand, sometimes I do not let myself think about the past or about the future too much. I know that there are moments in life when one needs to relax, to let go and to enjoy fully. I try to do that, but the nature of tennis does not allow much time for celebrations. Wimbledon is coming along very quickly“.

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Want to be at my best at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Olympic Games

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Djokovic is going to be the two-time defending champion at Wimbledon, having won the tournament in 2018 and 2019. He is gunning for his sixth title in London, but that is not Novak’s only goal until the rest of the season.

“I want to be at my best at Wimbledon, but at the US Open and the Olympic Games as well; these are my priorities until the end of the year. The schedule is really tough, there is only 10 to 15 days between Wimbledon and the Olympics, which is not ideal, but it is not the first time that I am in that kind of situation. I am pleased with the way I am recovering; physically, mentally and emotionally“.

For now, Djokovic is preparing for Wimbledon in Mallorca, where he is scheduled to play the doubles at the Mallorca Championships before heading to London.

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