class=”sc-29f61514-0 kHgAwW”>
For the first time since 2004, the French Open will take place without record winner (14 titles) Rafael Nadal (36). In mid-May, the Spaniard announced that he would not pick up a racket for the time being.
Despite his absence, Nadal is an issue in Paris. Novak Djokovic (36) also speaks about the sand king at a press conference. It is a great loss that he is not here, says the Serb. But he also sees that this increases other players’ chances of winning the title.
On the hunt for the next record
“Honestly, I don’t miss him. I don’t like seeing Nadal on the tableau,” he adds jokingly. He managed to beat Nadal only twice in Paris, “but I had to put my heart on the field to achieve that.” In total, the two 22-time Grand Slam champions faced each other ten times in Paris.
Djokovic now has a chance to become the sole record holder for major titles with his third win after 2016 and 2021. “It’s no secret that this is one of the main reasons why I still play tennis,” he says. “Because I want to break more records and continue to make tennis history.”
Alcaraz as top favourite
Djokovic does not see himself as a favourite. After winning the Australian Open in January, he could not win another tournament, most recently he failed in the quarter-finals in Rome. “For me Carlos Alcaraz is the top favorite because he is number 1 in the world.” He also names Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune or Daniil Medvedev as contenders, but “I hope it will be me in the end.”
Any win could be Djokovic’s last. Because Nadal’s statement that he will probably not play until next year got him thinking. “When he announced it would be his last season, I felt like a part of me went with him,” Djokovic reveals. “It was always a drive for me to compete with him and see who would achieve more.”
He now wondered how much longer he would play. “But don’t worry, I have nothing to say about it today,” he reassured his fans. The focus is now on Paris and his first opponent, American Aleksander Kovacevic (24, ATP 114). (bir)
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
