BREAKING NEWS: Novak Djokovic’s stirring words will have his opponents cowering.
Since his crushing loss to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semifinal in late January, which dashed premature hopes that he would no longer be the dominant power in men’s tennis, the world No. 1 has not hit a ball with malice.
A winner who has already shattered every major record in the men’s game would naturally lose desire and appetite for more, but Djokovic has made it clear that he is willing to play a fairly full program in 2024.
Though Djokovic has declared on multiple occasions that ATP 1000 events are no longer his top aim, his choice to travel to America more than two weeks prior to the Indian Wells tournament’s start was a clear indication to his opponents that he is taking this event seriously.
Although he has freely acknowledged that it is difficult for him to be apart from his wife Jelena and their two young children while he is traveling the tennis circuit, he has demonstrated his dedication to continuing his amazing career by reaffirming his attendance in Indian Wells for the first time since 2019.
Although Djokovic is already the most successful tennis player of all time, adding another ATP 1000 championship to his already incredible collection won’t change that, but this tournament will offer him an opportunity to set the standard for what matters most in the remaining months of 2024.
His next major objective is the French Open, which begins in May. Before the year is done, he also wants to defend his US Open title in September and attempt to win Wimbledon again in July.
Although he will be thinking about winning another ATP Finals in Turin and another world No. 1 title at the end of the year, Djokovic’s priorities right now are the Grand Slams.
As I’ve stated in the past few years, winning a Grand Slam is always my top priority and aim for the entire season, Djokovic said. I try to prioritize my preparation so that I can perform at my best in Slams because I don’t play as often in other tournaments.
When I’m not competing in a competition, these are the kinds of situations and feelings that I use to inspire myself every single day. Yes, sometimes I wonder myself, “After everything I’ve done, why do I still need this?” How much longer do I want to continue? Of course, these are the questions that are on my mind.
“Being aware of the fact that I continue to play at such a high level and win the biggest tournaments in this sport, I don’t want to quit this sport if I’m still at the top playing the way I play.”
Although Djokovic’s ranking as the world’s top player would not have changed if he had chosen to skip the Indian Wells and Miami Open matches in order to concentrate on getting ready for the French Open, he might have seen from past mistakes that being inactive on the court can harm a player’s aspirations.
When he finally got back into action after being sidelined for a while because of his Covid vaccination status, he was a little rusty.
He has therefore committed to traveling for the next few weeks to show his competitors that his drive for success still burns brightly, even though playing on hard courts in America is unlikely to help him achieve his goals of defending his French Open championship and adding to his collection of 24 Grand Slam victories.
The quick assessment that Djokovic is a spent force based on his performance at the Australian Open and his struggles with a sickness will vanish in an instant if he wins the Indian Wells championship and supports it by playing well and defeating some of his strongest opponents in Miami.