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With 19 Grand Slam titles to his name, Novak Djokovic has already established himself as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
At the age of 34, and with plenty more years of playing ahead of him, the Serbian star is in the kind of incredible form that might well see him surpass his rivals and pull away in the Grand Slam standings.
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Rivals Looking Over Their Shoulders
Having wrapped up victories in the first two Grand Slam events of 2021, Djokovic sits just one major title behind acclaimed players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic, who is 8/15 to win the title in the betting on Wimbledon this year, impressed on his way to titles at both the Australian and French Open. Showing his versatility on both hard-court and clay surfaces, the Belgrade-born star has found some superb form in 2021.
Although they might not openly admit it, Federer and Nadal have reason to be anxious about the prospect of Djokovic surpassing them in the Grand Slam title standings. Federer will turn 40-years-old in August, and now approaching the end of his playing days, the Swiss icon has been forced to be selective about which competitions he enters. Wimbledon has been a happy hunting ground for him over the years, having won eight titles at the All-England Club. However, his last success at SW19 was back in 2017, while one must go back to 2008 for his last title in the final Grand Slam event of the year at the US Open.
Meanwhile, Nadal missed out on his 14th French Open title at Roland-Garros this year and has since pulled out of both Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics. The clay court surface has taken its toll, even on a master of the surface like Nadal. With the Spaniard out on the sidelines, and Federer managing his time on the court, Djokovic looks to be well-placed to land more Grand Slam titles.
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Djokovic Talks up Confidence
Sitting pretty at the top of the world rankings, and becoming the first man in the Open Era to win every Grand Slam title twice, it’s not surprising to see that the confidence is high in Djokovic’s camp. After successes in Melbourne and Paris, the man himself has said his confidence is “pretty high”, while also stating he wants to ride the wave of “positive energy” he has amassed with his titles in 2021.
With all this in mind, it’s certainly not a given for punters that Djokovic will secure a clean sweep of the four Grand Slam titles this year. The reigning Wimbledon champion found himself two sets down in the French Open final against Stefanos Tsitsipas, demonstrating that he can still be challenged on the biggest of stages. Of course, Djokovic responded and went on to win the title at Roland-Garros, but the likes of Tsitsipas and others will look to exploit any weaknesses in the armour of the Serb.
Novak Djokovic in fine form and brimming with confidence is one of the most formidable sights to be seen on a tennis court. If he continues to keep up this standard of tennis over the coming years, there is little to suggest Djokovic can’t break more records and leave his rivals in his wake.
