(Provided by Tennis World USA)
Jimmy Connors is applauding Novak Djokovic for overcoming many adversity and challenges en route to setting a new all-time Grand Slam record. After the Australia visa saga in 2022 January, Djokovic was also denied participation at the 2022 US Open because he couldn’t enter the United States as an unvaccinated foreigner.
Also, Djokovic missed several Masters events last year due to his vaccination status. After last year’s French Open, Rafael Nadal held a record 22 Grand Slams. Djokovic responded by winning the last three Grand Slams in which he was allowed to participate – 2022 Wimbledon and this year’s Australian Open and French Open.
Connors applauds Djokovic, backs the Serb to win more Slams
“That experience that Djokovic has, you know he’s been on the winning and losing side of Grand Slam finals, going in there and understanding what it takes.
One other point about him is that time when he had off, that he wasn’t able to play. What was that like knowing that he was going out and practicing and having to put that kind of effort in mentally, not to get discouraged.
And to continue to train and to work at his game and keep it at that high level, not knowing when he was going to play again. A lot of that enters into the mental part of it. So now he had, and he still does, the chance to separate himself from Federer and Nadal.
He’s at 23, what’s it going to be? 30? 30 Grand Slams? I mean, if he plays another, how many more years can he play? He’s 36 so could he play another 3-4 years and what can he get out of that?” Connors said on the Advantage Connors podcast, via Sportskeeda.
At Wimbledon, Djokovic will be targeting his 24th Grand Slam. Going into this year’s Wimbledon, Djokovic is considered the heavy favorite for the title.
