Novak Djokovic was very close to winning a Calendar Grand Slam in 2021, but ultimately, he didn't, and Martina Navratilova named an issue that stood in his way.
Calendar Grand Slam is a very rare achievement in tennis. The is only one man that managed to do it, and it's Rod Laver, who first did it as an amateur in 1962 and then as a professional in 1969.
The lack of players with this achievement shows just how difficult it is to do, given that it required a player to perform well at four different tournaments, played at three different continents, spread across 9 months, and on three different surfaces, two of which are like day and night.
Still, with the greatness of the Big Three, it's not surprising that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic had starts of seasons when they went unbeaten for 10+ matches at majors, and the Calendar Grand Slam was immediately brought up.
However, to achieve that, a player needs to win 28 matches, and that's much more than 10, but still, Djokovic got very close to it in 2021. Yet, there was one more obstacle standing in his way, and that was the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Speaking on the Tennis Channel recently, former WTA legend, Martina Navratilova, discussed the often-discussed surface change, as this year, players were required to go from clay at the French Open to grass at Wimbledon, and then again to clay at Roland Garros for the Paris Olympics.
"Well, it’s easier to go back on clay, which you just played on a few weeks ago, than to go on the hard courts. That’s when the body starts giving in, because the hard courts are much harder on the body."
According to Navratilova, the change back to clay courts is much easier for players because they played on it only a few weeks before. The 67-year-old argued that change to hard courts is much more challenging but also detailed the emotional toll that this extra event takes on players.
"So I think surface-wise, I don’t think the players will have an issue with it. It’s just the emotional and physical toll of playing an extra massive event in the middle of the summer."
"Basically two weeks after Wimbledon is over, Olympics start and the top players who have played here (Wimbledon), really have got such a short turnaround and then you’re there."
Going back to hard courts is exactly what Djokovic had to do in 2021. After winning the Australian Open, the French Open, and the Wimbledon Championships, he lost in the semi-finals of the Olympics, and eventually, he lost in the final of the US Open.
It was a memorable match in which Daniil Medvedev was a much better player, something that rarely happens in the Serbian's career, as he lost 4–6, 4–6, 4–6. According to Navratilova, it could have been the mix of the emotional toll from the Olympics as well as the physical exhaustion that eventually cost Djokovic the rare Calendar Grand Slam.
"And it’s emotionally exhausting and physically exhausting. And then they go on the hard courts. “I think they’ll be really, you know, tongues hanging out at the US Open. I think they’ll be okay for the Olympics, but how much energy do you have?"
"I think it cost Novak Djokovic the Grand Slam three years ago and now they are doing it again. It’s going to be tough. More than the surface, it’s just the emotional and mental stuff that gets you down."
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