Novak Djokovic singling out 2 rivals says everything you need to know | Tennis | Sport
Novak Djokovic spoke about his sporting rivals. (Image: Getty)
You have to be seriously self-assured to bracket yourself with Lionel Messi and LeBron James, but Novak Djokovic has never been short of confidence. Twenty-four Grand Slam titles are not won by someone who doubts themselves. And he knows a 25th, at the age of 39, will take him to a rarefied place in sporting history.
The consensus is already that Djokovic is the greatest tennis player of all time but an eighth Wimbledon crown would make him the indisputable GOAT. And he is aware that a victory achieved at this stage of his career would carry special meaning.
Djokovic explained: “I love watching greatness in the making and continuing the evolution of greatness, like Messi, like LeBron James. It’s amazing to see.
“I feel like we are all setting the bar higher and moving the needle of what people thought is possible in terms of level of competition and level of performance at a late age.”
Even though his second round victim was Stefanos Tsitsipas – an opponent he has played 12 times in the last seven years and beaten 12 times – Djokovic’s ‘level of performance at a late age’ was impressively high.
Tim Henman described it as ‘absolutely phenomenal,’ adding: “I’ve watched him for so many years and still he goes out and produces performances like that.
“It was so clean. The way Djokovic just dismantled Tsitsipas was incredibly impressive.”
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Djokovic faces Arthur Rinderknech, the 25th seed, in the third round, and needs one more success to equal Roger Federer’s 105 wins at the All England Club, the record in the Open Era.
Rinderknech is something of an unknown quantity to Djokovic – the pair have never met on court – but few expect the 30-year-old Frenchman to halt the Serb’s progress.
Novak Djokovic was back to his best against Stefanos Tsitsipas. (Image: Getty)
Most observers believe Djokovic’s form appears to be as good as it was during his run to the Australian Open final at the start of the year.
It is certainly being appreciated by a Centre Court crowd who have not always been fully behind him over the years, but now seem to be enthralled by his challenge for a record-breaking triumph less than a year before his 40th birthday.
And his prank during the win over Tsitsipas – pretending a ball girl had hurt him when she was cutting a tag off his shirt in a break between games – was genuinely funny.
True, it is easier to have a laugh when two sets to the good but this is a more relaxed, if familiarly determined, Djokovic.
Perhaps advancing years have mellowed him. They have certainly made him appreciative of what he has achieved and what he continues to try and achieve.
He said: “I’ve said this so many times before. I try not to take these moments for granted when playing on the Centre Court of Wimbledon.
“I feel very privileged to be walking out there at age 30-plus.
“I don’t think it’s a cliche because I actually believe it is true, but age is just a number.”
And to back that up, he had a final thought.
“Messi was born the same year I was born, ’87,” he smiled. “It was a good year to be born.”
