“I still feel the movement”

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday, August 25, 2024

Not since then Roger Federer won his fifth and final US Open title in 2008 as a player successfully defended the US Open men’s singles title.

Four times champion Novak Djokovic hopes to change everything.

Ahead of his first-round match with Moldova’s Radu Albot, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, Djokovic told the press he was still hungry for more Grand Slam success.

“Hopefully that changes this year,” he said when told that no man has defended the US Open title in the past 15 years. “I mean, that’s the goal. The aim is always for me to try to get to the final and fight for the trophy. I mean, that kind of mindset or approach is no different for me this year.”

Even at age 37, Djokovic says the fire to compete at the elite level still burns within him.

“People would ask me now that you’ve basically won everything with the gold medal, what else is there to win?” he said. “I still feel the movement. “I still have the competitive spirit. I still want to make more stories and enjoy the tour. I still hope to inspire a lot of young people to watch tennis, to play tennis – those are some of the reasons why I’m still going.”

Djokovic says trying to keep pace with his younger rivals is also hugely motivating for him. He credits Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for keeping him inspired to perform at his highest level.

“These kind of rivalries that I have with Jannik and Carlos, in particular, of course, along with other guys from the previous generation, like Zverev, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, you know, are the kind of matches that still bring that joy of competition to me and inspires me to really, on a weekly basis when I’m not competing, push myself to perfect the game and give myself a skill to be able to run for hours with them on stage big,” he said. “Sure, there’s a big age difference, but, you know, it still doesn’t, I think, affect me in a big way.”

Olympic Gold His Greatest Moment

Djokovic has executed so many breathtaking triumphs in his career, one would think he would have a hard time deciding which was his most impressive performance. The Serbian legend says there is no doubt he is winning gold at the Paris Games this summer.

“I’ve had a couple of gut-wrenching losses at the Olympics, I’ve been working hard to try to be in a position to fight for gold,” he explained. “And at the age of 37 I thought: could this be the last chance? Maybe. So I had to push harder than I ever have.”

Djokovic said the Olympics turned out to be a dream come true and added that he has never felt such strong emotions on a tennis court.

“It turned out to be one of the best performances I’ve had in years overall throughout the tournament,” he said. “Of course in the finals against Carlos, it was kind of a dream scenario to have my wife and kids there, with the whole nation watching. Just a very proud moment of experiencing the gold medal, you know, around the neck with the Serbian anthem and the Serbian flag. Very, very special. Probably the strongest emotions I’ve ever had on a tennis court.

“I was saying that holding the flag, being the flag bearer for my country, opening the Games in 2012 in London at the Olympics, it was the best feeling I had overall in my professional career, I surpassed every Slam I won, until I won. the gold medal. I think the moment I got it, how I got it, after years of trying, the journey, that’s what it was, I think that makes it even more unique.”