Novak Djokovic, an ogre still not satisfied

He is the one who attacks all the records, to break them, one after the other. Sunday September 10, Novak Djokovic became the co-holder of the absolute record for the number of Grand Slam titles won, with the Australian Margaret Court, the majority of whose successes had been gleaned before the Open era. On Sunday, he also became the only player to have won four times, three of the four Majors in the same season (2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023).

“We’re looking for words, because we can’t find them anymore, about it. But we don’t trivialize it, when we see these images, these emotions, when we imagine everything that’s behind it. It’s enormous, quite simply”, reacted Justine Henin, seven-time Grand Slam winner, after the victory of the Serb, on the set of Eurosport.

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For several years, he has made his hunt for records a priority. “I want to win as many Grand Slam titles as possible, he repeated after his victory at the Australian Open on January 30. At the point where I am, these trophies are the main motivating factor. I know that when I feel good physically and mentally, I can win any Grand Slam tournament, against anyone.” The absolute record now reached, what next for the 36-year-old player? “I don’t set numerical goals for myself,” he decided in New York after his 24th Major title on Sunday.

A man of challenges

So, yes Novak Djokovic recognizes that he sometimes asks himself questions about his future, if he has “still need this”, or “how long (he) intends to continue”. “But as long as I am able to play at such a high level, and win the main tournaments, I don’t want to leave this sport,” he insists. But “Nole” lives for his career. “When you tell him that something is impossible, he will do everything to prove you wrong. In his way of working, there are never any excuses,” reacted Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic’s coach.

“He loves challenges. If he wins a 25th Grand Slam, he will say to himself: ‘Why not a 26th?’ With him, every tiny detail is important. Everything must be prepared in advance. He always wants more.”

Goran Ivanisevic, coach of Novak Djokovic

at a press conference at the US Open

“He’s a man of challenge, that’s what keeps him going, supports Arnaud Clément, former world top 10 and consultant for franceinfo: sport. He always wants to prove that he is the best. Ihe holds almost all the records, and yet, he is always focused on going further. To maintain this level of motivation, when you are alone in front of everyone else in history, is quite extraordinary. He also seems completely impervious to the weariness of chasing records.”

Domination through the years

Despite the end of the “Big 3” (with the retirement of Roger Federer, and the absence of Rafael Nadal), the new world number 1 retains his throne against the young guns, whose leader is Carlos Alcaraz. Exceptional consistency fueled by adversity. “With the explosive arrival of Carlos Alcaraz, he wants to show that he is always the strongest, the boss, and that he will find solutions to any UFO that arrives on the circuit. That transcends him “, analyzes Arnaud Clément.

“What is also extraordinary, is that he arrives in Grand Slam always ready for the fortnight, perfectly programmed for that moment, adds our consultant,. Of course, sometimes there can be small variations, but he has such a margin compared to other players that he can win Grand Slams without being very good all the time.” A margin for how long? “Not many of them can pick it up,” notes Arnaud Clément.

This was also confirmed in the final of the US Open on Sunday, where he was never really pushed to his limits by Daniil Medvedev, world number 3. “This is the challenge for all players when they face him. They have to play their best level, from the start to the end of the match. And when you play your best level against him, you don’t win easily, in three sets”, remarks Arnaud Clément.

The Olympic title in sight

Without competition capable of overtaking him, the way seems clear in his quest for new titles in Major. “No player is immune to injury, but he still doesn’t seem made of the same wood as everyone else, estimates the consultant franceinfo: sport. In terms of managing his body, his seasons, his preparation, he still seems much less affected by physical problems than the others. He’s had very few in his career, which is pretty crazy, and even when he does, he manages to win a Grand Slam, when 99% of players would have given up.”

The context therefore seems ideal for Novak Djokovic, who already has his challenge for 2024 in mind, in addition to surpassing the symbolic bar of the 24 Grand Slams: Olympic gold in Paris, the only title still missing from his record. For this, he will have to make choices in his season to achieve this. For several years now, he has skipped certain tournaments, to preserve himself for the Majors.

Because the Roland-Garros-Wimbledon sequence, usually already complex for the bodies, will be followed by the Olympic Games then the US Open, involving a new change of surface each time. Not all rest for organizations. He and his staff are already aware of this and are even planning well beyond next year. “He intends to play until the Olympics in Los Angeles. [en 2028] “, threw his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, in the second degree. The player himself jokes about his future. “One day, in 23 or 24 years, I will leave the circuit [rires] and there will be new players. But until then, I think you’re going to keep seeing me.” The tone is certainly intended to be light and humorous, but Novak Djokovic’s quest to be the greatest of all time has never been so serious.