'Novak Djokovic will have no questions to answer if...', says former ATP ace

Novak Djokovic will have enormous pressure on his shoulders when the US Open kicks off. The last Grand Slam of the season will start on Monday 30th August in Flushing Meadows and will have a different flavor than usual. If the Serbian star were to triumph in New York, he would become the second player in the Open Era (after Rod Laver) to achieve the 'Calendar Grand Slam'. The number 1 in the world won the top three majors of 2021, beating as many members of the Next Gen in the final (Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas at Roland Garros and Matteo Berrettini at Wimbledon). A possible triumph in the Big Apple would also allow him to overtake the eternal rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, lifting himself to 21 Slam. The Swiss and the Spaniard will both be absent from the US Open: King Roger will have to undergo surgery on his right knee again, while Rafa has ended his season prematurely due to his well-known foot injury. In a long interview with the 'Tennis365' portal, Greg Rusedski expressed an interesting opinion on Nole's future.

Rusedski opens up on Novak Djokovic

“I think Novak Djokovic will get 25 and become the all-time Slam winner on the men’s and women’s tours, with Margaret Court’s record standing at 24,” Greg Rusedski said in an interview to Tennis365. "While the GOAT debate will always go on, he will have no questions to answer if he gets five and more ahead of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It’s hard to argue against the guy who has done a Calendar Slam and has 25 Grand Slams." Djokovic has never hidden his desire to break the Grand Slam record. “Knowing how Novak Djokovic works, he will want to put distance between himself and the other two guys and he wants to end the debate," Rusedski added. Since turning pro in 2003, Djokovic had a variety of apparel sponsors. He initially signed with Adidas, wearing their apparel till 2009, when they ended his contract. Although he signed a long-term deal with Sergio Tacchini, the deal fell apart in 2012 since they couldn’t catch up to bonus payments. On social media, Lacoste announced the extension with a few words. They wrote, “Teammates since 2017, Lacoste and @DjokerNole are proud to announce their partnership has been extended until 2025. The exceptional athlete and men’s tennis world #1 shares common values with the French Crocodile: audacity, commitment and elegance.​”

 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2Wj7HbZ