'If he wants to overtake Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal...', says legend

2021 will be a crucial year for Novak Djokovic, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to break the all-time Grand Slam record currently held by eternal rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The world number 1 is stopped at 17 Majors, three points behind the Swiss and the Spanish. After winning the Australian Open last year, the Serbian veteran was convinced he had at least one in his pocket between the US Open and Roland Garros, but the implications were not what he hoped for. In New York he was disqualified for a shot to a line judge, while in Paris an unleashed Nadal prevented him from repeating the 2016 triumph. The 33-year-old from Belgrade will start with the underdogs at the Australian Open in just over a week , having already won the Happy Slam eight times (record in the Open Era). In an interview granted to the 'Nemzeti Sport' portal, former Swedish champion Mats Wilander expressed his opinion on him on the eve of the first Grand Slam of the season.

Wilander on the 2021 Australian Open

"I would be surprised if Novak Djokovic didn’t win the men's title (in Australia). It would be very, very hard to beat him," Mats Wilander said. But the Swede believes Novak Djokovic would need to bring his best throughout 2021 if he hopes to catch up with his two major rivals, given that the younger players are starting to express themselves on the big stage more frequently. "Novak Djokovic has a chance to reach 20 Grand Slams this year," the seven-time Slam champion added. "In fact, I think if he wants to overtake Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, he has to make a big move this year because the younger ones will provide more and more challenges in the coming years." Former World No. 1 Justine Henin believes eight-time champion Novak Djokovic is the favorite for the men's singles title at next month's Australian Open. "The men's draw is easier to predict and has a more obvious favorite: Novak Djokovic," Henin stated. "The Australian Open is made for Novak Djokovic. The situation this year is different, but after what happened at the US Open and Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic will want to show again that he is the boss. We always have to rely on Rafael Nadal, on Dominic Thiem, who is now a Grand Slam champion, and I also like Daniil Medvedev a lot," Justine Henin added.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3aftAM6