Novak Djokovic says he is preparing for the Olympics in the same way he would for any of the Grand Slams, as he targets first-ever gold at Paris 2024.
Despite winning 24 career Grand Slams, the Serbian player has a gold medal from the Olympic games missing from his esteemed trophy cabinet. The 36-year-old's best previous performance at the tournament came in 2008 when he won bronze at the Beijing Olympics.
Winning an Olympic gold appears to be a big target for Djokovic this season, as he previously stated that it would likely be his last career attempt at receiving the prestigious medal.
When addressing the Olympics and its priority on his schedule during an interview with the Tennis Channel at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters, Djokovic said it is a competition that he believes is just as important as the Grand Slams.
"It's an Olympic year so Olympic years are very rare and come every four years. Like any Olympic year, I really put Olympics right up there in terms of priority of the tournaments where I want to excel and play my best. Other than slams, that's the highest priority."
Ultimately, Djokovic's actions on the court suggest that he is gunning for the top seed spot in the ATP Olympics race. Djokovic was at the top of the rankings until Jannik Sinner won the Miami Open title in early April and displaced the Serbian.
But, the 36-year-old has time to try and knock Sinner off top sport before the Olympics begins on July 26. When reflecting on the upcoming summer spell, Djokovic stated that he is preparing to hit his peak for the start of the 2024 Roland Garros on May 20, with the view of competing to his highest level for the final three majors, plus the Olympics.
"I think that block during Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Olympics and US Open, those two or three months is where I want to play my best tennis and hopefully that's going to happen."
0 Comments