Anyone would likely believe that ATP world number 1 Novak Djokovic is on track towards a Calendar Slam. That’s especially true after hearing former Wimbledon title-holder, world number 2, and now tennis coach Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia say that there’s no doubt the Serbian will capture the title in the upcoming US Open this August. For fans who are constantly engaging in the greatest of all-time debate among the legendary trio of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer who each has won 20 Grand Slam titles apiece, the answer is only becoming clearer.
For Ivanisevic, the debate ended a long time ago, even before Djokovic had wrapped up three of the four most highly contested annual tournaments of the year by winning against Daniil Medvedev in straight sets during the final, then against Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets at the French Open, and recently, against Matteo Berrettini in four sets, for his 6th Wimbledon title and 20th Grand Slam trophy.
Come August, Ivanisevic who joined Djokovic’s coaching team in 2019, is convinced that the Serbian is the best among the best and the only one who can pull off a Calendar Slam in this generation, or better yet, the first to win a Golden Slam in tennis history if he captures the men’s singles gold in the Tokyo Olympics.
As of press time, Djokovic has reached the semifinal round in Tokyo and is set to go up against Alexander Zverev of Germany.
No easy feat
While Roger Federer has shown signs of exhaustion during his last appearance at the grass courts of Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal is no pushover and is most likely the number one contender for an upset. Ivanisevic had earlier expressed that they are preparing for Nadal who has great discipline and is known to fight with all his might during matches. For fans, it is quite obvious that the Spaniard wants to win badly.
After withdrawing from this year’s Wimbledon and Tokyo Olympics, Nadal is slowly regaining his top form for the Grand Slam tournament by playing in the Citi Open and working hard at training. Somehow, the prospect of being the first to capture 21 Grand Slam titles is the motivating factor for the Spaniard right now.
As New York’s Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is set to open its gates to full capacity, Novak Djokovic’s road to a Golden Slam year is the biggest story in the tennis news circuit around the globe. Of course, no one is dismissing how Nadal and Federer are also seeking to write tennis history this summer, but the world number 1 remains determined to achieve the monumental feat.
Other players Djokovic should be wary of for the US Open include defending champion and world number 6 Dominic Thiem of Austria, and former tournament champions Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland and Marin Cilic of Croatia.
Then, there is the younger breed of warriors who will be gracing the acrylic hard court of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center including Medvedev, Tsitsipas (who came close to defeating Djokovic during their finals match at Roland Garros), Berrettini, world number 7 Andrey Rublev of Russia, and world number 10 Denis Shapovalov of Canada among others.
A total of 35 countries will be participating in the men’s singles with USTA wildcards filling in the remaining eight spots to complete the 128 competing players who will close the US Open Series.
If Djokovic wins the US Open, he will only be the third professional player in tennis history to achieve a Calendar Slam after Don Budge in 1938, and Rod Laver in 1969. As for the Golden Slam, he will be the second after Steffi Graf achieved the feat in 1988. From the looks of it and based on the current US Open roster, Djokovic is not in for an easy journey towards this year’s gold.
On the right track
Whether or not Djokovic’s decision to go for gold at the Tokyo Olympics is a good or bad thing as he suits up for the US Open remains to be seen. After all, there had been some doubts from the champion about entering the Games after he won the Wimbledon title in June. Eventually, the Serbian boarded the plane to Japan to pursue his first Olympic gold after only finishing third in his Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Games. Doing this, he had to cut short his run at the Rogers Cup which is considered to be an essential preparation for the US Open.
Playing the courts of Japan with pandemic safety restrictions still in place which means zero-spectator matches will certainly be different from the 100% capacity crowd at the US Open. However, the champion is well prepared for whatever conditions there are in place and at this point, whoever he faces on the court. To him, the medals and trophies are all that matter.
From a broader perspective, Djokovic is well on track for the first-ever Golden Slam in men’s tennis and with the fifth leg of his historic journey, his focus and objectives are as clear as day. Registering a 34-3 record so far in the year, with four wins of the seven events he played in, the US Open’s hard courts is a welcome venue for the Serbian champion. He has won nine matches so far on the same surface, indeed another advantage from joining the Olympics which is played at the Ariake Tennis Park’s hard courts.
For fans who have been with Djokovic throughout his Golden Slam journey, winning the Olympic gold should be a walk in the park considering pros like Nadal, Thiem, Berrettini, Federer, and Shapovalov are not on the list.
What fans can expect is a highly contested US Open where the big three are ready for battle. Somehow, there’s no doubt that Djokovic’s absence at the Rogers Cup may play a role in how he performs at the upcoming tournament. However, with huge title stakes on the line, there’s no doubt that the Serbian is well on his way to becoming the true G.O.A.T. of tennis.
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