Novak Djokovic calls Olympic gold his ‘biggest achievement’ | ATP Tour

The US Open

Djokovic calls Olympic gold his ‘biggest achievement’

The Serbian is looking for a fifth US Open title

August 24, 2024

The last time Novak Djokovic played, many of his teammates said “he is done with tennis”. The Serbian won the men’s singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics, a major title he had yet to win.

Ahead of the US Open, the 37-year-old made a bold statement about his long list of achievements.

“Just kind of sharing my thoughts, my feelings and my experience of thinking about what I deserve, I think now when I look back, the biggest success and the biggest highlight of my career, winning the gold for Serbia,” said Djokovic. “I had a sad loss at the Olympic Games, I worked hard to try to put myself in a position to fight for gold. And at 37 I thought, I don’t know, could this be the last chance? It is possible. So I had to push harder than before, than before.”

Djokovic explained that his effort in Paris was one of the best performances, in any tournament, that he had produced in years.

“Of course in the finals against Carlos, it was just a dream to have my wife and children there, with the whole nation watching. A very proud moment to feel the gold medal around my neck with the Serbian anthem and the Serbian flag. Very, very special. “Maybe the most intense feeling I’ve ever had on a tennis court,” said Djokovic. “I said that I am holding the flag, I am the leader of my country, I am opening [the Olympic] The 2012 Games in London at the Olympic Games, it was the best feeling I had in my professional career, I passed all the Slams I won, and even won the gold medal.

“I think the moment I achieved it, how I achieved it, after years of trying, the journey, it was the way it was, I think it makes it very different.”

Djokovic has not played since winning in Paris, but will try to hit the mark in New York, where he is the defending champion. The four-time US Open champion is trying to become the first person to successfully defend the Flushing Meadows trophy since Roger Federer won it five years in a row from 2004 to 2008.

“I didn’t know about that. I knew it was probably like that for five, ten years, but I didn’t know it was that long. Hopefully that will change this year. I mean that’s the goal. The aim is that I always try to enter the finals and fight for the cup. That kind of thinking or approach is not different for me this year,” said Djokovic. “People will ask me, since you’ve won everything with a gold medal, what else can you get?”

“I still feel like driving. I still have a competitive spirit. I still want to make history and enjoy myself on the Tour. I still hope to inspire many young people to watch tennis and play tennis. These are some of the reasons why I continue. Grand Slams are the pillars of our sport. They are the most important tennis historical events we have. So if you’re not fired up and you’re not motivated to play your best tennis at the Grand Slams, it’s hard to do that anywhere else.”

The 99-time tour-ranked player feels good about his game and what he has achieved in recent years, but admitted he needs to be “more selective” with his planning.

“I have to be more selective about my calendar strategy and the way I pick and choose events and when I want to be at a high level and play the best tennis,” said Djokovic. :So when it comes down to it, Grand Slams and representing my country. That’s actually what motivates me the most. That’s what drives me the most. Yes, that has to do with the court, I think, the motivation that is driven by competition. “

The Serbian will no doubt be motivated to win his 25th medal over the next two days in New York. Djokovic has won at least one Grand Slam tournament in 12 of the last 13 years and is trying to make it 13 of 14. He will face Moldovan Radu Albot on the opening night on Monday.

“The US Open is the stable that hosts the biggest tennis court in the world, the tennis court. The night sessions at the US Open are very, very popular in our sport,” said Djokovic. “I’ll be playing my first game here on Monday night, so I can’t wait to be under the lights. The sound, the energy of the field is just different from anything else. I’m looking forward to it.”