Grand Slams and Olympics remain priority for Djokovic as a huge summer of tennis beckons
The world No 1 faces arguably the most significant summer of his career as he looks to reassert his authority over the rest of the field
Novak Djokovic (Icon SMI/Panoramic)
The 2024 tennis season has thus far been peppered with, frankly, unwelcome reminders about the inevitable role time plays in the eventual decline of all sporting careers.
As Rafael Nadal‘s farewell tour has been hampered by his continued struggles with physical fitness, Andy Murray‘s career looks set to finish this summer as the indefatigable Scot finally concedes that time – and a litany of injuries – has caught up with his body.
It was for these reasons that Novak Djokovic‘s apparent ability to remain impervious to the natural order of ageing felt strangely comforting, regardless of whether one supported him.
It’s well-documented that the 24-time Grand Slam champion has been playing a reduced season in recent years, cherry-picking the most prestigious tournaments and scheduling his workload to peak at these events.
“The goals are trying to win every tournament that I play in,” Djokovic told Jeffrey Katzenberg in an interview at the business-focused Upfront Summit.
“I don’t play that many. I think I earned my right now to play the full season after so many years, which is a good feeling to have.”
This strategy has paid dividends over the last couple of years, especially in 2023 when Djokovic was one set away from an historic men’s calendar Grand Slam.
It is therefore nothing new to learn that he will be planning 2024 in much the same way. With a summer that includes Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the Olympics within just over two months of each other, peaking over the course of these events will be pivotal.
However, following the start of a new season in which the Serb is yet to win a title and looked unprecedentedly vulnerable at his hallowed turf in Melbourne, this year’s epic summer of tennis has taken on a different complexion for Djokovic.
underwhelming start to season gives summer added significance for djokovic
While it is far too early to suggest that Djokovic’s steady decline may have begun, there has been a pronounced shift in the discussion around the world No 1.
That, in itself, will bring a different level of pressure this summer as he aims to compete with ever-improving young talents and the added complication of a returning Nadal in Paris, should that materialise.
“The Grand Slams are the ones I value the most,” Djokovic continued.
“That’s where I want to do my best – and the Olympic Games. The summer is going to be really busy.
“But that’s where my attention is, that’s what I’m preparing for.”
Djokovic will have just turned 37 before the start of this year’s Roland-Garros, a tournament that will kick off a period of massive importance for the Serb.
While his countless records are secure, among them his legacy of being the most successful men’s player to have yet played the sport, Djokovic will be well aware that one last golden summer in 2024 would underline his phenomenal career with an indelible flourish.
The world No 1 will almost certainly play beyond 2024, and he will very likely win more big titles. But chances for sure-fire major triumphs will become increasingly scarce, while Djokovic’s final opportunity for Olympic gold will surely be this year.
After a rocky start to the season that has reminded us all of every great player’s finite time at the top, this summer’s bumper festival of sport is as crucial a period for the Serb as any he has yet faced.
It remains one of the final unwritten chapters in Djokovic’s astonishing career – and he wants to write it in his own words.
